Not sure if I mentioned, this but I have depression. I was diagnosed about 7 years ago. The approach I have used in the last 2-3 years is to go to a Dr. who prescribes me medicine for this illness. He basically manages my medicine, but I don't see him for counseling. Our sessions last only 10 min. and anyone who has ever been to counseling will tell you that 10 min. doesn't accomplish very much. Most sessions of counseling are either 1/2 hour or 1 hour.
Again, the arrangement works pretty well. But there are times when I'm really upset that I need to talk to someone or vent or express myself. Well, why not do that here? I have discussed problems that I have had. But, there is some editing going on. I equate talking about your problems or confiding to taking clothes off. If someone told you truthfully that last month they tried to commit suicide by swallowing razor blades, figuratively, they are standing before you naked. Now, I have never made an active attempt to take my own life, and I sure as hell won't be doing it with razor blades if I ever were. But still, I don't feel like being too revealing or being too naked on this website (again this is only an analogy, not something literal!!)
So I decided to join a group for those with depression.
It has been a very eye-opening experience. Can you believe that one of young adults in that group really did swallow razor blades because she was so wanting to commit suicide? What goes through a person's mind when they grab the first blade and place it in their mouth? I mean I have been down, but holy shit! Razor blades!
Another teenager heads a counseling group, and she feels so bad for some people in her group that she, herself, wanted to commit suicide. Gotta wonder about that arrangement.
Well, needless to say, this has been a very good group to belong to because it has given me a mega dose of perspective. & it has also been a place to vent but usually, I'm sitting there gob-smacked at some of the really tragic stories going on.
3 comments:
Hi Vince.
It's very true that sharing does help. It's also true that sharing feels very naked and vulnerable. Lately there's been an ongoing theme to my life - the strength in being weak. Or maybe - the strength in admitting to being human. That being said I'm still not keen on opening up on as public a forum as a blog myself. It just feels a bit too naked!
Going off on a tangent here. You're the same age as me so both born year of the Rabbit (Chinese astrology). Rabbits are prone to things like stress and stres-induced depression because we're kind of tuned in to intense. We *FEEL* - in huge spongey-absorb-everything capital letters! I find I need time by myself to just relax and clear my mind, preferably listening to good music.
I love listening to good music.
I understand your analogy completely, Vince. And yes, we do need to vent. :-))))
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