Black Dog

In Today's Issue

Depression
My Black Dog
Facts about Depression
How to Help Yourself
Random Joke of the Day
That's Amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing
Finish with a Song

Depression
A mental condition characterized by feelings of severe despondency and dejection, typically also with feelings of inadequacy and guilt, often accompanied by lack of energy and disturbance of appetite and sleep.

  

MESSAGE TO MY BLACK DOG

Black, Blacker, Blackish, Blacked

I hate your weight your

Metal hat

You push me down

On to my knees

My iconoclastic surreal disease

You stop me being

You make me hurt

The scars run deep

I am the dirt.

I live a lie

Reconstructed truth

You eat my age

Consume my youth

  

You change reality

I am a clown of blood soaked

Banality

A player with an empty frown

One real truth

I will let you down

Facts About Depression

                                                                                                                                                                      

Depression distorts your thinking. When you are depressed, your mind can play tricks on you. If you have thoughts of suicide, please call someone immediately. Don't let a temporary glitch in your thinking cause you to harm yourself or another.

Depression makes it hard to give. It's very hard to think of other people when you're wrapped in a prickly blanket of sadness, and all you can think about is your own pain. Be proactive and just a few steps you need to heal. Try reading a book to help you understand what you are going through and how best to deal with it.

Alcohol is a depressant. So are marijuana and a host of other recreational or street drugs. Self-medication is not going to get you better and will surely make you worse over time. Remember that all medications, including anti-depressants, have side effects.

People don't choose to be depressed, but they do make a choice about how to deal with it. You can choose to do nothing, but denying that you have a problem will only make you feel worse. Choose to just make one step, just one and if it feels okay, try it again. That's how many people get through it.

The origin of depression can be situational and/or bio-chemical. If you are experiencing mild to moderate situational depression (resulting from the loss of a job, for example), counseling will help you. Most bio-chemical depressions that are moderate to severe are best treated with a combination of medicine and psychotherapy.

Depression can be as hard on your loved ones as it is on you. Those closest to you may start to feel unloved, and may distance themselves so they aren't pulled into your pain. Remember that others are counting on you.

Exercise is the easiest and least expensive cure for depression. Just walking 30 minutes a day will help you and sometimes completely alleviate your symptoms. For this very reason, many therapists take walks with clients instead of doing "couch time."

Ways to help Yourself

(source Mind)

Look after yourself

• Get good sleep. For lots of people who experience depression, sleeping too little or too much can be a daily problem. Getting good sleep can help to improve your mood and increase your energy levels. 
• Eat well. Eating a balanced and nutritious diet can help you feel well, think clearly and increase your energy levels. 
• Keep active. Many people find exercise a challenge but gentle activities like yoga, swimming or walking can be a big boost to your mood. 

Practise self-care

• Work out what makes you happy. Try making a list of activities, people and places that make you happy or feel good. Then make a list of what you do every day. It probably won't be possible to include all the things that make you happy but try to find ways to bring those things into your daily routine.

• Treat yourself. When you're feeling down, it can be hard to feel good about yourself. Try to do at least one positive thing for yourself every day. This could be taking the time for a long bath, spending time with a pet or reading your favourite book. See our relaxation tips for some ideas of things to do.

• Be kind to yourself. None of us achieve all our goals. Don't beat yourself up if you don't do something you planned to, or find yourself feeling worse again. Try to treat yourself as you would treat a friend, and be kind to yourself.

Keep active

• Join a group. This could be anything from a community project or a sports team to a hobby group. The important thing is to find an activity you enjoy, or perhaps something you've always wanted to try, to help you feel motivated.
• Try new things. Trying something new, like starting a new hobby, learning something new or even trying new food, can help boost your mood and break unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaviour.
• Try volunteering. Volunteering (or just offering to help someone out) can make you feel better about yourself and less alone. 
• Set realistic goals. Try to set yourself achievable goals, like getting dressed every day or cooking yourself a meal. Acheiving your goals can help you feel good and boost your self-confidence, and help you move on to bigger ones.

Challenge your low mood

• Keep a mood diary. This can help you keep track of any changes in your mood, and you might find that you have more good days than you think. It can also help you notice if any activities, places or people make you feel better or worse.

Random Joke of the Day

I gave a brilliant speech today to a group of backpackers. They were on the edge of their seats.

There is a McDonald's on every continent except Antarctica

Finish with a Song
This is Johnny Cash with Hurt, released in 2002