My Support Forums - View Single Post

eskielover · Aug 26, 2009, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vickie in Phoenix

IShe said she was reading it and she happened to have two copies and thought I would find it interesting. The title was "You Are Your Choices".

It left me puzzled. I didn't know what to think.............I wondered if she understands so little about depression that she has no idea that the ability to make choices is one of the first things that goes haywire when depression sets in and making bad choices is one of the side effects of mental illness.

After all, in light of what it took for her to achieve that position, she just simply might not "get it".

Vickie,

Until I had my anxiety attacks/depression at the end of my career when aerospace engineering was going downhill anyway, I had no idea about mental illness at all. I had no idea what was even happening to me.....just felt like my whole world was colapsing around me & I was in a hole pulling the dirt in over me with no way out. None of my family or friends really did "get it" about what I was experiencing or going through.....but family mostly was at least supportive & caring & they were there through the worst of it. It was all the hospital stays I had that opened my eyes to many of the other mental illnesses that were around me.....I probably didn't 'get' what they were really going through, but it gave me a much more understandin& sympathy for the struggles.

The book is actually a great title for us to always remember....thinking about when we are in our deepest depression....we need to make sure the choice is to get the care we need. When we are feeling good, we need to make the choice not to think we are so well that we don't need the meds that are actually keeping us stable & allowing the good feeling. More that anything, the choices we make in our care in dealing with our mental illness really point out even more that we are our choices.....even if we can't make any more choices in our life than just our care at the time....that is the most important choices we can make.

It is so wonderful that your sister has taken this step into being family....again. Hope all continues smoothly. Don't read too much into what she might be saying.....just take the words you really hear only....when we read into what people are saying it only causes problems......take the relationship moment by moment & it will grow in wonderful ways.

Best wishes,
Debbie