CWD Daily

August 2, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline -
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

Get help.

Erika's Lighthouse is an organization that provides resources for teens and their teachers to combat depression.

It's a vibrant, active organization with a bold mission to help depressed teens find a way out of the darkness.

Check out THIS great video.

CWD Daily is written by Julie Aiken, a layperson whose only authority lies in 40 years of coping with depression. Nothing in the newsletter should be taken as medical advice. Please do no self-diagnose or self-prescribe. Above all, please get help if you need it.

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com

August 1, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline -
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

A new month is a great time for a fresh start!

Forget everything telling you depression is here to stay, and choose a new reality. Start to heal! Practice the fundamentals: take your meds, talk to someone, get plenty of sleep, eat healthy, move your body.

Let's have a terrific August!

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com

July 31, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline -
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

“A doctor came to set and talked to me for about 30 minutes or 45 minutes and said: 'Jared, I think you’re clinically depressed. I think I should write you a note – we can shut down production for five days and then we can take it from there.' And it kind of hit me like a sack of bricks. I mean, I was 25 years old. I had my own TV show. I had dogs that I loved and tons of friends and I was getting adoration from fans and I was happy with my work, but I couldn’t figure out what it was; it doesn’t always make sense is my point. It’s not just people who can’t find a job, or can’t fit in in society that struggle with depression sometimes.”

That's Jared Padalecki talking, one of the two stars of the mega-hit TV show Supernatural.

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com

July 30, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline -
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

A short – short is the operative word, here – nap can refresh you and reboot your brain, especially if you're obsessing about negatives. A half-hour or less is best.

Sleeping too much is not helpful, but short naps every day or so really can work wonders. Give it a try!

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com

July 29, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline -
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

“You know that feeling when you have just gone through a breakup, or lost your job, and everything is terrible and terrifying and you don’t know what to do, and you find yourself crying in a pile on your bedroom floor, barely able to remember how to use the phone, desperately looking for some sign of God in old letters, or your Facebook newsfeed or on Glee, finding nothing there to comfort you?

“Come on, yes you do. We all do.

“And there is a goddess from Hindu mythology that teaches us that, in this moment, in this pile on the floor, you are more powerful than you’ve ever been.”

HERE is a completely different take on depression.

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com

July 28, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline -
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

“When I was depressed, it felt like I was walking through mud all the time. My head was filled with thoughts like, ‘If my friends knew who I really was, they wouldn’t love me.’ And, ‘What right do I have to exist?’ And, eventually, ‘Why do any of us have the right to exist?’ If people were being kind to me, I wasn’t able to access that kindness. It wouldn’t produce a feeling in me. If a child smiled at me from a stroller, it might lift me up for a millisecond, but then I’d fall back into darkness. Before I was depressed, I could find joy in things so easily. I worked as a gardener, and I learned the calls of the birds so I could tell where they were just by listening. I loved to show new plants and insects to children, and see how excited they’d get. I made a 50th birthday card for my sister, and got strangers from all over the world to write ‘Happy Birthday’ in their language. But during my depression, I couldn’t access any of that joy. I’d try reminding myself that other people had bigger problems. I’d try telling myself to quit being weak, and to snap out of it. But nothing worked.”

– Facebook – Humans of New York

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com

July 27, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline -
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

Just for today, don't worry about being depressed!

Just be. Enjoy your coffee. Take a walk. Call a friend or loved one and chat. Take a nap. Watch Netflix.

The struggle can be exhausting, which ironically may contribute to your depression.

So once in a while just feel whatever you're feeling, and be.

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com

July 26, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline -
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

Get help: Medication

THIS short video presentation from WebMD highlights how antidepressants work, types of antidepressants, and common side effects.

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com

July 25, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline -
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

Here are a few indicators that you may be coming out the other side of the long tunnel of depression:

You have been able to get some things done and make progress on goals.
You have been sleeping less.
You have been sleeping through the night.
You have been engaging with others more and enjoying it more/resenting it less when you do.
You have been telling people about your plans, even if they're a bit fantastic, even knowing people might not approve or even believe you can accomplish them.

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com