It’s been three years since I had a daily show on LIFE 100.3. Even as a fill-in DJ, I haven’t been on the air for nearly a year. (The Retro Show is recorded during the week.) Filling in for Tim Maassarany for the last seven days has been a treat and a bit like finding your favourite old t-shirt and finding it still fits. I came off the air about three years ago after being dianosed with depression. Anxiety was a constant surprise, making me unreliable. The daily meds and monthly visits to a psychiatrist have helped but I'm convinced that some of trouble I still have are side-effects from the meds, like the lousy memory and the inability to focus on reading documents.
Wikipedia lists 12 side-effects to the med I'm on. I've found 14.
Just when I think I’ve overcome this mental illness, the most annoying disorder reminds me that depression is still present and that is my unreliability. From one day to the next, I never know if I’m going to feel like doing the things I have planned on my schedule. When I’m in that zone, all I want to do is cancel everything, do nothing, be alone and sit. Or sulk.
If you know what all that means, you’ll understand how committing to seven days in a row could be stressful; not the amount of time, but rather the commitment. I took it one day at a time, reminding myself that I really enjoy going on the air.
Fortunately, it’s been a good couple of weeks on the afternoon drive shift. Not on cancellation!
So depression - I got you beat, this week!
IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WITH DEPRESSION.
Don't ever say "I understand". The depressed person knows you don't.
Don't say, "read your Bible" - that's very annoying for a Christian.
Don't try to reason how they feel. You'll probably end up in a fight.
HERE ARE THREE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP
(These work on me.)
1) Make a suggestion to do something you know they enjoy. Go for a walk? Watch a TV show?
2) Sit with the person, and hold their hand, but don't talk. Just be there. It's comforting to have a friend who knows enough to just be quiet.
3) Say nicely, "I'll leave you alone for awhile." The mood will pass and everything returns to normal.
4) Above all, don't bail on the person.
Friends stick with friends in tough times.
Thanks for that, I know what you mean, I have been on meds for a very long time, but they helped me get my life back and I don't feel like such such loser saying I suffer from Depression, it is just like any other disease it needs to be treated, so good for you for discussing it on your blog!
ReplyDeleteyes some of us know exactly what that means. it's nice to see someone in christian media using it to influence positively and speaking out to share honestly about real battles that we struggle with daily sometimes. may our thoughts and hearts be looking forward!
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