Thursday, October 11, 2012

Helping Hands

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If you've lurked around here for any period of time or if you just look at my my blog archive timeline you'll notice I go MIA for big chunks of time. There's a lot of reasons for that. For one I have a lazy streak a mile long, for another I have a full time job, a daughter and husband that keep me plenty busy. But sometimes it boils down to something else, something a little more sinister. I can sometimes succumb to long periods of being down in the dumps. From the time my son coded in the car, up to and definitely for a long time after he passed away I spiraled down into my own depression. It could've been a lot uglier, but it wasn't pretty. I started going to therapy and working myself out of it. I was never officially diagnosed and I'm not seeking medication or therapy for it any longer.

For the most part, I manage it. I'm able to see the silver lining around those low hanging clouds. That silver lining is there in my daughter's giggle or my husband's crack comic timing and I can and do enjoy life on a daily basis. But sometimes it rears its ugly head in ways I'm keeping hidden from people around me and especially from myself. Sometimes I hit a low spot without even noticing it.

It happened the other day and it took just a little word of kindness for me to identify it for what it was and start digging my way out again. It was a simple acknowledgement of something being out of place by someone who cared enough to straighten me out and it doesn't seem like much but in fact it was huge. (Thanks again Jason. I might be thanking you a  lot.)

The topic of mental illness has come up a lot lately in my mind. I've been reading a lot about mental illness on Laura Zera's blog, and having discussions about it with family, and obviously having my own mental health battles. What I'm coming to realize is that a little concern goes a long ways in helping. Just voicing some concern in someone's life who may be struggling with a mental illness or who has someone in their life dealing with mental illness goes a long way. Voicing concern to any one going through a difficult time mental illness or not goes a long way. I know we all get busy and forget to reach out to the important people around us and just see how their doing. But imagine how better off we'd all be if we just reached out every once in awhile to people and find out how they are. I know it did me a world of good. (Thanks again Jason. Told you I'd be thanking you a lot.)

2 comments:

Laura Zera said...

It's so true, isn't it, Tylia? Just a small thing like that can make a huge difference. This year, a friend came up with the idea that we 'sponsor' each other by committing to phone each other to see how we're doing and lift each other up when we needed lifting. Normally, when things get busy, months could go by in between phone calls, but we talked twice a week at first, then once a week, then once a month... as both felt like we were in good places, we called less. But we still call. It's a small thing, and it's a huge thing. Best to you, and big hugs.

The Bloody Munchkin said...

I have a similar pact that I made to myself revolving two of my best friends. I'm not the best about calling, but when I do, I do my best to pick them up if they need it and they, without knowing it probably, bolster me.

We should all make those sort of pacts, connections. Thanks for the hugs. I'm sending a couple to you in return.