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depression

Why Writing Helps Heal Depression – 2

by John Folk-Williams 11 Comments

Writing helps heal depression

As I discussed in this earlier post, writing helps heal the depression that dominated decades of my life. That post reviewed James Pennebaker’s research, as summarized in Opening Up, but said little about how I go about writing to confront the most powerful feelings and maintain the progress I’ve made in recovery. For writing is […]

Filed Under: Anxiety, Recovery, Writing Tagged With: depression, fear

Why Writing Can Help Heal Depression – 1

by John Folk-Williams 21 Comments

writing helps heal depression

The subtitle of Storied Mind used to be Writing to Recover Life from Depression, and I’ve often wondered why it is specifically that writing can help heal depression, especially when so many other approaches to treatment have failed me. When I was just starting this blog, I wrote about the fear of writing or even […]

Filed Under: Recovery, Writing Tagged With: depression, feelings, trauma

Re-Reading the Story of Depression’s Meaning

by John Folk-Williams 20 Comments

Stories of depression's meaning

There are no more beautiful and moving stories of healing than those told by Rachel Naomi Remen. Kitchen Table Wisdom is one of those books I come back to again and again. Each of its brief stories renders a moment of discovery that reveals a life’s meaning to someone lost in pain or rigid routine. […]

Filed Under: Purpose, Reconnecting Tagged With: depression, life, meaning, Rachel Naomi Remen, self, survival, Viktor Frankl

Stories to Explain My Life with Depression

by John Folk-Williams 11 Comments

stories of depression

Stories can be an immediate and moving way to learn about someone because they evoke the feelings and experience that factual details never can. When told with honesty and sincerity, a story helps establish a bond of trust because the teller has been willing to open such personal insight to the listener. For me, certain […]

Filed Under: Purpose, Self-Esteem Tagged With: belief, depression, hope, life, meaning

Forgiveness and Escape from Depression

by John Folk-Williams 8 Comments

Forgiveness

As many know it, forgiveness is a feeling that can’t be forced, one that often comes after a long inner struggle. I’ve lived with the need for many forms of forgiveness, and each has been important in my recovery from depression. I’ve felt the need to acknowledge hurt that I’ve caused and to ask for […]

Filed Under: Recovery, Relationship Tagged With: Anger, depression, family, forgiveness, loss

Do You Have to Lower Your Expectations of Life to Recover?

by John Folk-Williams 15 Comments

hope for recovery

I’ve often mentioned how crucial it has been to my recovery that I made basic changes in my work and way of living as a whole. Did I have to give up on hope and lower expectations of life in order to get better? My answer is No. But if you had asked me before […]

Filed Under: Healing, Recovery Tagged With: change, depression, hope, life, well-being

Can Depression Make Us Better People?

by John Folk-Williams 26 Comments

Conversation on Depression

Depression can collapse your life the way an earthquake can take down a city. So how could this same depression make us better people? Tom Wootton takes the idea farther than anyone else with his belief that depression can be a beautiful part of your life. Most of us haven’t imagined such a possibility but […]

Filed Under: Recovery Tagged With: depression, empathy, learning

Patterns of Recovery from Depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

by John Folk-Williams 9 Comments

patterns of recovery

I started learning about patterns of recovery when my mother survived two heart attacks but died twice before her death. That’s the way she saw it. Her heart stopped both times, but she fought her way back. The second heart-stopping attack occurred during an operation for a different problem. She was 94. I only learned […]

Filed Under: Depression Treatments, Recovery Tagged With: depression, pattern, PTSD, trauma, treatment, trust

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Surviving Depression Together Now Available at Major Retailers

Surviving Depression Together


Surviving Depression Together

"John, this is a ... much needed resource. Thanks for writing it!"

- Therese Borchard, author of Beyond Blue


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A Mind for Life Ebook Now Available at Major Retailers

A Mind for Life: From Depression to Living Well

A Mind for Life Ebook

The inner work of getting your life back from depression. This ebook is now available in most common ebook formats at major retailers.

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Living Depressed

Depression affects emotions, mental abilities, self-concept, behavior, relationships and the entire body. These core posts describe the full range of symptoms affecting daily life. Read More.

Choices in Healing

Hoping for recovery gives you a motive but not a method for getting there. This section has posts about therapies and healing methods you can work with either on your own or with professional guidance. Read more.

Living Well

If you've learned how to manage your depression, you'll want a fulfilling life rather than one dominated by fear that the illness might return. In this section, you'll find posts about how to work toward that goal. Read More

Relationships in Crisis

One of the hardest challenges of living with depression is holding onto your closest relationships. This section features posts on how to help a relationship survive. Read More.

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  • Storied Mind Ebooks Ready to Go!
  • Notebook: Healing the Whole Person
  • Why Writing Helps Heal Depression – 2
  • Why Writing Can Help Heal Depression – 1
  • Re-Reading the Story of Depression’s Meaning

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