How happy do you feel? Depression may be more common than you think.
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I remember hiking in Banff, Alberta and I was engrossed in the stunning beauty of the area. I came across a large high ridge meadow with a sign that described how glacial ice had caused the ‘depression’ that created the lake and the meadow. The sign described how rock had been shaved away, exposing the deeper cavities which created space for the lake and grassy areas that I was marvelling at. It was a graphic description of depression.
I am working on a piece about mental health and leadership. I share a related article that I found yesterday. Have a quick read and consider your own mental health and the mental health of those you love. Don’t be silent.
Mental health is not a diagnosis. We each have physical health, emotional health, spiritual health and relationship health. These areas interplay with each other and we may experience changes in our moods, thinking and other experiences. We can be successful, accomplished and outwardly satisfied. It is more common than we think.
Orlando da Sliva, the new head of the Ontario Bar Association opens up about his experience with depression. (Click on photo for link)
I wrote about my experience with depression in an article that I titled Mental Health and my WMD: The Weapons of My Depression.
Please take a moment to comment. How has your mental health been impacted by stress, by your occupation or by how you think about the pressures that you face.
I would appreciate you sharing any lessons with me. It will help me in my own journey and it will help as I put together my article.
Keep it Real.
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Originally posted on smswaby. Reprinted with permission.
Photo: Flickr/Seniju
Sean, Thanks for writing this. Depression has been part of my life since I saw my father go down with shame and rage when he couldn’t find work to support his family and eventually tried to take his own life. I was five years old. I grew up afraid I would follow in his footsteps and I was terrified to be a writer like he was. I had also inherited my mother’s fear that creativity would lead to madness. Well it did and it did. I have spent my life dealing with my own craziness, including the manic-depressive way of… Read more »
Jed, I love how you said that depression is a sane way to deal with the losses that we face and how it also provides us with a creative edge. In a way, depression is a significant challenge and also a gift. How you see it can depend on where you are in the journey. My father dealt with his depression by drinking. I’m trying to learn from his example and face my depression in ways that are more health. Thanks for you post!
SMSwaby