Embrace Joy Over Depression With Hope and Happiness Feeling Better

Feeling Better Comes With Often Embracing Joy and Hope

Making it normal? Is it possible? Or are we talking about a “new normal” when it comes to chronic illness?

DB: I have taken the challenge to accept my ‘new normal’ over and over.

The first ‘new normal’ was for me to accept I had multiple chronic health conditions.

As time passed more complex chronic health conditions added themselves to my lengthy medical record. But time has a special way with us.

It depends on what you choose to do.

With autoimmunity there are many choices. I chose to self-educate myself through functional medicine doctors, psychologists and therapists as well as a lot of online researching.

My conclusion is a ‘new normal’ now of great health. It may not be as great as a few decades before, but it is fabulous compared to the last decade of my life.

So my ‘new normal’ has become very grateful, excited waking every morning with the new health, which I treasure daily.

Where there is hope there is healing.

Summary by:

Depression:

• past losses and difficulties
• low self-esteem
• ‘fuzziness’ in thinking
• negativity
• challenges
• sense of purpose and meaning
• difficulty seeing a hopeful future and
• suicidal thoughts

DB: As a teenager I suffered from depression from past losses, difficulties and very low self-esteem. I also lacked a sense of purpose and meaning which led me to suicidal thoughts.

In my early 20’s I suffered from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome CFS and in my 40’s I developed long term Fibromyalgia.

Emotional Feelings:

• sadness
• difficulty to access emotions
• feeling lazy
• lost
• angry and
• difficulty accessing pleasure in things that were pleasurable before but not now

Behavioral Symptoms:

• Less excitement for activities
• increased use of substances
• or ‘out-of-control’ practices and escaping
• ‘checking out’
• housebound and bed-bound
• reckless behavior without care of consequences
• self-harm
• reduced performance in work and
• school or duties at home
• massive drop of levels of energy

DB: Before I chose to become a Career Missionary after my suicidal thought attempt/self-harm, I felt out of control. I checked out and used reckless behavior without care of consequences, as perceived by my parents and family.

I lost my appetite, work performance and duties at home. I also endured disabling fatigue while dabbling daily with alcohol for relief.

During my suicidal intent, I was saved by a book that caught my eye. After opening the book to ‘see what it had to say to me’ was a last attempt to ward off the suicidal thought. At first glance the words offered to give my life away to a good cause, rather than throwing my life away.

Relational Symptoms:

• socially withdrawn
• isolated
• increase in arguments
• less invested in loved ones lives
• disconnected from others

DB: Significant health issues resulted living housebound. After attending psychological therapy I have been able to slowly but surely increase my social life, being more open and more invested in my loved ones. So there is hope for sure.

Physical Symptoms:

• stomach discomfort and loss of appetite
• sexual issues and
• sleep disturbances
• lethargy and fatigue
• slowing down and
• headaches
• get help from a doctor’s diagnosis of depression

DB: When I saw the doctor as a high school student I was prescribed effervescent Vitamin C. It actually helped, but the root cause wasn’t addressed. It has now been addressed through my self-education and the help of my supportive GP/Doctor.

Summary :

• With chronic illness there is a physical loss which can lead to depression
• social and emotional loss over long periods
• includes loss of hope
• physical function
• integrity
• dignity
• faith
• social relationships
• autonomy
• freedom and
• ‘loss of life’ imagined
• Chronic ‘sorrow’ and depression is very frequent with co-occurring disorders
• Significant amount of loss can easily become depressive

Focus on:

• Coping strategies
• self esteem
• optimism
• cognitive behavioral therapy
• interpersonal therapy
• problem solving
• social support
• emotional expression
• mindfulness practice
• addressing toxic relationships
• boundaries and
• trusted support

Coping strategies include:

• Sunlight,
• exercise,
• natural supplements,
• sleep schedules and
• medical interventions.

DB: I discovered two other coping strategies, not mentioned, CBD oil and Trauma Informed Yoga that I have found very helpful indeed to the point of almost back to normal and better.

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