Monthly Archives: May 2014

Every Day Is Filled With Choices

You might feel like every day is exactly the same. Except it’s not: it’s a series of opportunities to do everything differently. I’ve been working the same job for about twelve years, yet these last few weeks everything has changed in the way I approach it. I have an endless list of little things toContinue reading “Every Day Is Filled With Choices”

It Is Scary, But It Doesn’t Have To Be

Yesterday’s mini-test was flawed for several reasons, but there was a lot to learn from it. In case you missed the post the analogy to complete was: HEART DISEASE : PREVENTABLESCHIZOPHRENIA : _______________A) AVOIDABLE     B) SCARY     C) TREATABLE     D) CURABLE 1) I chose ‘schizophrenia’ to go against ‘heart disease’ becauseContinue reading “It Is Scary, But It Doesn’t Have To Be”

A Brief Test For You Today

Select the adjective which best completes the analogy from the four choices below: HEART DISEASE : PREVENTABLE SCHIZOPHRENIA : _________________ A) AVOIDABLE     B) SCARY     C) TREATABLE     D) CURABLE I have a guess as to which would be the most popular answer if this was given to a fairly large number of people. I’d be reallyContinue reading “A Brief Test For You Today”

Are You Mentally Well?

If you’ve never taken a minute to ask yourself that question, think about it now. Are you as mentally well as you could be? If you’re not sure, skip the definition and make time to talk with someone about it. I can’t think of any good reason why you should go through life being uncertainContinue reading “Are You Mentally Well?”

Another Path To Bravery

Which is more brave; bearing the burden alone, or admitting that you can’t? There is a great deal you can bear. There are some things you cannot. The bearing requires bravery, but, so does the admission. Rather than measure which is more brave, know that they both are brave. There’s more than one way toContinue reading “Another Path To Bravery”

Re-Writing Old Stories

There’s an old story about mentally ill people which goes something like this: The bad ones end up homeless or institutionalized. The really bad ones are violent and sometimes end up in jail. The rich ones can afford pills and therapy. They go back to their lives. If they still have friends, they probably don’t talk about it.Continue reading “Re-Writing Old Stories”

There Are No Magic Words

I write a lot about awareness of the symptoms of depression & suicide, hoping that we can save a life. I’ve told the story about the doctor who convinced me to try to help myself with a few short words. The scenario that you will ever have to talk someone down off of a ledge,Continue reading “There Are No Magic Words”

Why Learn About Suicide?

It is unfathomable to many why one would commit suicide. “Those who kill themselves have perhaps felt not only despair, but also the momentary loss of self-consciousness.” – Andrew Solomon, The Noonday Demon, page 245. It goes against every fiber of your being to do it. So, imagine instead, if you felt nothing – noContinue reading “Why Learn About Suicide?”

Why I Don’t Want To Prevent Depression

Please, don’t take my depression away from me. If that sounds strange coming from a guy who’s written over 300 posts, mostly about how to get out of or avoid depression, I’ll explain. I do not want you to suffer one minute longer than necessary. I am not anti-medication. I am pro-humanity. One day, veryContinue reading “Why I Don’t Want To Prevent Depression”