My Pinterest Tag Line is “To know me is to say What the hell?” Maybe it’s yours too.
When you start to talk at an AA meeting you say,” Hi, I’m Walt and I’m an Alcoholic.” The good news is that I’m not an alcoholic. The bad news is that I’m depressed and I’ve been depressed a long,long time. The Veteran’s Administration found me after 22 years and determined I was disabled. Disabled for depression (SHOCKER!). So depressed that they say I can’t handle my own finances. So depressed that I’m not not supposed to have firearms. So depressed that I’ve been voted “Most likely to blow my co-workers away.”
“Hi, I’m Walt and I’m depressed.”
The good news is that I’m not suicidal.
The good news is that I do not plan to shoot anyone.
The good news is that I’m pretty handy at pulling off financial miracles.
I’ve been in one sort of therapy or another since 1992 when I enjoyed a nervous breakdown. I had good reason to melt down back then. My marriage had failed. My children were taken from me courtesy of my wife and the United States Air Force when I was left alone in Germany. I came back from combat with more than a little bit of survivor’s guilt even though my unit had taken no casualties. Finally stupidity on the part of my chain of command and arrogance on my part destroyed the only thing I liked about myself, my Air Force career. In 1992 I was rated at the highest level of stress that was measured in those quirky psychological tests. Even my Psychologist said I deserved a nervous breakdown and should enjoy it.
Does this sound like you? Any bells going off? I’ve described my depression as swimming. Where happy is above the water and depressed is below the water and most of the time I’m about six inches under water and coming up for short breaths every now and again.
Still with me? Good. Are you and I in the same boat?
Watch this.
Then watch this.
There is no Magic Bullet for Depression. But hopefully this might give you a road map to seeing the glass half full.
Feel free to leave a comment because I thrive on positive feedback and count no feedback as a negative.
Damn! I did it again.
