20 Jan 2013

January 20th



Depression affects so many people. It's hard to understand why. We're born into this world and struggle through life as best we can. Some of us are cheerful, but others fight against each trial and feel as if fate is stacked against them.
In England, the National Health Service has seen good results from using self-help books on how to overcome depression. The prescribed book, together with three counseling sessions on how to get the most from the advice, guides the patient to improve their own behavior. The two hundred test patients were provided with a self-help guide dealing with different aspects of depression, such as being assertive or overcoming sleep problems. However, authorities admit they could never afford to treat every sufferer in a similar way.
Although I've rarely been affected this way by life's challenges and sorrows, I've seen loved-ones plunge to the lowest gullies. After twenty seven years, my first husband was diagnosed with bipolar condition. As if his early years weren't enough to bow the toughest soul, he plunged even lower. Much as I tried, I could never help him. When he left me for a brighter future in the form of another woman, I moved away. He now lives alone and we don't contact each other. I've had to recognize that some people are better left alone. A person can only do their best for another. If they get to the point of losing their individuality and vitality, they must pull away, no matter how good their intentions may be.

4 comments:

  1. Hi Francene .. I'm very grateful I don't suffer and haven't been too close to people that have ... I suspect my father had it - but I was too young to realise ... I can however see your point of view re your husband ...

    All the best - Hilary

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  2. You're right, you know. There's no helping the one who doesn't want to be helped, and for our own mental health it's better to step away and out of their picture. I'm glad you did that, Francene. Depression is a black hole with very powerful gravity--sucks you in before you know what's happening. I also had a depressive partner (just 7 years, though), and I know how powerless one feels, how the world's colors begin to leach away until there's nothing left but bare bones and grey lines. Nasty stuff :)

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  3. My second hubby is a bi-polar. I feel sorry for him. He's pushed everyone away.

    Hugs and chocolate,
    Shelly

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  4. Someday, there will be a better answer, rather than medication which so many afflicted with depression refuse to take. But as women, we tend to want to "fix" things with our loved ones, when there are some things we cannot fix. Stepping away takes courage too, but we cannot lose ourselves in these relationships.

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