Written by john on November 23rd, 2009
Some Rights Reserved by Ashley_Rose at Flickr
Lately, I’ve come across a number of questions online by plainly anguished people, asking: Why do I have no friends, no life? The first time I saw one this blunt, I reacted almost defensively, laughing as I recalled an old film in which a man hires a private detective [...]
Read more »
Written by john on September 29th, 2009
Some Rights Reserved by exper at Flickr
I’ve always had trouble talking honestly about depression, in therapy or out. Even though much of its influence is gone, this remnant of depression is still holding on. I was always able to report the latest news to a therapist – I’m down at level 2 instead of up [...]
Read more »
Written by john on September 17th, 2009
Some Rights Reserved by janusz l at Flickr
When I think of recovery from a terrible illness, I think of Reynolds Price. His beautiful memoir, A Whole New Life, records the powerful experience of his mental and spiritual healing from the excruciating pain of a crippling illness. However, there could never be recovery from the physical [...]
Read more »
Written by john on July 5th, 2009
Some Rights Reserved by nonofarahshila at Flickr
I’ve written an overview post in this series on Depression Central, and I hope you’ll have a look at that. Thanks.
Talking to a depressed partner can be more than frustrating. It can feel hopeless when you’re faced with a slammed door shutting you out completely or a furious attack [...]
Read more »
Written by john on April 14th, 2009
Some Rights Reserved by a_whisper_of_unremitting_demand at Flickr
catatonickid recently published a post about facing your double, reaching a place where nothing can be explained, a place where no choice could possibly be right. She calls that the “ideal argument for healing,” or, in the quoted words of Marie-Louise von Franz: “the beginning of the process [...]
Read more »
Written by john on March 1st, 2009
Some Rights Reserved by (le)doo at Flickr.
Medication is a hot subject on the internet, so I need to say up front that I’m not opposed to the use of medications to treat long-term depression. I have a live-and-let-live attitude about treatment. Finding anything that works for each person is the key, with or without drugs [...]
Read more »