It hasn't been so bad this year; but this is quite abnormal for me.

June and the onset of summer have always been the most difficult time of year. As a matter of fact, since 2012 I have been admitted to the hospital three times - all for the period June and July.

In my own case it is the onset of summer and the coinciding activities that trigger the Depression. In my former life I was quite the outdoor adventurer. That all came to a halt when I first got sick. Seeing kayaks on roof racks and people on the river triggered some pretty heavy grieving for the life I had lost. I had a very hard time accepting I would never live that lifestyle again and such visual representations of out-door pursuits were massive triggers.

This year is different. I think partly because I have worked through the grieving to a state of acceptance that my life just will never be that way again. The other thing beneficial to an improved state of mind is that I have made new routines.