We spoke today at my partial program about plans for the weekend, I've been trying very hard to stay out of bed because that has been a very bad symptom of my depression... staying in bed all day.

But when I got home today I realized it isn't always the depression that keeps me in bed. Past two or three days my arthritis has really flared up. If I feel like this over the weekend I won't have the energy to get out of bed... both because it is painful to move and because the arthritis may be making me fatiged.

And when I am stuck in bed because of my arthritis I think about how it has changed my life and my ability to experience things... and that of course feeds into my depression. And then the depression keeps me in bed which makes my joints feel even stiffer leading to even more pain.

And my arthritis flareups are generally linked to my depression and the amount of stress in my life. So there is both a physical and an emotional connection there. The ingredients for true love and neverending bliss for my two current companions: depression and arthritis.

Maybe they'll go on a long honeymoon and leave me in peace.

Man did this post take a disturbing unplanned turn...