[regretful]

Try as I might, this depression seems to get deeper by the day. There was a point about a week ago where I was able to chart "bad" and not "horrible" on the Daily Mood, but I'm stuck in "horrible". I am taking medication and will stick with it; I'm also in therapy, but seemingly not often enough...If the situation with my business would change, I might have a new outlook, but for now, I am mired in the throes of depression. For those of you who have successfully made the U-turn, what was the one best thing that you did to start the turn around? Any suggestions would be useful. Thank you all for your support. I really mean it, and I really need it.

[whimsygirl]

Hello regretful....How I wish I could say something new, but I don't know that I can But just a few thoughts. It sure seems like you are taking so many positive steps to give yourself the chance to feel better....meds, therapy, seeking work in the field that you love, etc. When I think about your situation, what occurs to me is that it seems like you're kind of swimming upstream a bit. I know you want so badly to feel better, but at the same time you are obviously miserable with the business that you own, and seem to have no hope that you will ever be able to get out of it. (If I'm understanding things correctly.) I know you have been trying to get back into your role as a therapist, but I'm confused about exactly why you wouldn't eventually be able to leave the business behind. If that was something you could plan on, even if it couldn't happen right away, do you think that might change some of your feelings? As you have expressed several times that you believe what you are suffering from is "situational depression", as long as you believe that your experience with your business is the cause, it seems like you are fighting an uphill battle if you feel this situation can not ever be changed. Although the meds and the therapy might help in some ways, I have this image of you trying to make the journey to feeling better with an anchor around your neck. And one more thing, as I fear I may be wearing out my welcome Oh here I go back to the Serenity Prayer, and please forgive me if I sound too direct, but I really do want to help. So here goes. What's done is done, the past is the past. You made a decision in good faith to open the business, and sadly it just didn't go the way you envisioned. But that's life, and IN NO WAY REFLECTS ON YOUR WORTH AS A GOOD PERSON. And bad things happen to good people all the time....sad but so true. So my point is that you seem to beat yourself up quite a bit about the choice you made. I apologize if I'm getting this wrong, but that's what it seems like, anyway. I feel that unless you can let go of blaming yourself, the road ahead will only be more difficult. Ok, well, don't know that any of this will help one bit, or that it will even make sense to you, but for what it's worth.....

[regretful]

Thanks Whimsygirl,

I really appreciate the insight. When you're wrapped up in depression, you can be blinded to some of the simplest, yet most meaningful, solutions. When I get like this, the Serenity Prayer is quickly forgotten...thank you for the reminder. And yes, it all makes sense to me.

[SharkOutOfWater]

Sorry to hear about your troubles, regretful. Do you not enjoy the business you are in anymore? Or is it mainly financial headaches? I hope you don't mind me asking.

[regretful]

Hello Shark out of Water...It is not the financial headaches it is the business that I am in that I don't enjoy. I'm a clinical psychologist and enjoyed that work very much. As a move for support of my wife, I joined her in our business full-time. I can elaborate more in a private message if you'd like.

[SharkOutOfWater]

Originally Posted by regretful

Hello Shark out of Water...It is not the financial headaches it is the business that I am in that I don't enjoy. I'm a clinical psychologist and enjoyed that work very much. As a move for support of my wife, I joined her in our business full-time. I can elaborate more in a private message if you'd like.

Sounds like a tricky situation and if you feel like talking about it, I'm here to listen.

[whimsygirl]

Originally Posted by regretful

Thanks Whimsygirl,

I really appreciate the insight. When you're wrapped up in depression, you can be blinded to some of the simplest, yet most meaningful, solutions. When I get like this, the Serenity Prayer is quickly forgotten...thank you for the reminder. And yes, it all makes sense to me.

Lord knows we all need reminders now and then. Why just last night I had to remind myself of The Prayer....isn't it interesting how we can sometimes think more clearly for others than we can for ourselves? Hmm....

[SharkOutOfWater]

Originally Posted by whimsygirl

Lord knows we all need reminders now and then. Why just last night I had to remind myself of The Prayer....isn't it interesting how we can sometimes think more clearly for others than we can for ourselves? Hmm....

Isn't that the crazy truth!