Giving Voice to Depression

A (then) 23-year-old woman stops during a magical holiday moment to tweet to her 14-year-old suicidal self the message that the fight IS worth it, that things can and will change, that you will not always feel the way you do right now, that hope wins and you are NOT alone. It's a New Year's message of hope and recovery that we hope you'll listen to, internalize and share. May 2024 bring you peace and mental health.https://recovery.com/https://givingvoicetodepression.com/Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/VoiceDepressionTerry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

We post this 6-minute essay every Christmas Eve, for those who are not feeling merry or bright. Whether it's depression, grief, loneliness or something else, if you are hurting, the "joyfulness" of this holiday season can make things feel even worse.John Pavlovitz wrote and recorded a powerful essay we know some of you will also be comforted by-- or at least feel acknowledged. We'll get through this together. Come to the Giving Voice to Depression Facebook community page if you need some company today. https://johnpavlovitz.com/2017/12/24/to-those-who-struggle-this-christmas/https://recovery.com/https://givingvoicetodepression.com/Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/VoiceDepressionTerry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

End-of-year holidays can be a celebratory time.Or a stressful time.Or both.Whichever is true for you, it's a good time to add or tune-up some of the tools in your mental-health toolkit.This episode focuses on mindfulness and self-compassion -- two readily accessible tools that can help us regulate and cope with difficult emotions.And when the holidays pass, these valuable gifts to ourselves will still be available in our self-care and depression-management arsenals.Link to more information, exercises and research: https://self-compassion.org/Link to research on mindfulnessAmerican Mindfulness Research Association:goamra.org/resources/reviewsmeta-analysis/https://recovery.com/https://givingvoicetodepression.com/Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/VoiceDepressionTerry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

How could making a secret, customized Bingo card help you manage holiday stressors?What's the value of a "buffer day?" Those are just two of the many tips and tricks shared by Dr. Anita Sanz, a licensed clinical psychologist to help us manage and protect our mental health during what can be a difficult time of year for many.Even if you enjoy the holidays, there's no ignoring the fact they impact our schedules, routines and energy.  This 18-minute episode could give you a few new tools to be able to keep what is meaningful and health for you and avoid or limit that which is not.  Especially the bingo card. We just love the Bingo card. ;-) A printable, customizable Bingo card is available on our website: https://givingvoicetodepression.com/https://recovery.com/https://givingvoicetodepression.com/Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/VoiceDepressionTerry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

Grieving any impactful loss can be especially challenging during the holidays. There are so many expectations that we celebrate and keep up traditions regardless of our feelings and pain. Setting and communicating clear boundaries (even if they will disappoint or upset others) and managing expectations are two ways to protect ourselves and our hearts.Our guest, Krista St-Germain knows a lot about grief, and coaches others through it. This 28-minute episode could help you honor yourself this holiday season. Please share it with anyone else you know who could benefit from the insights.Links to related resources:Krista's website: Coaching with Krista — Life Coaching for Widowed MomsPsychology Today article: Working Through Grief During the Holidays | Psychology TodayGVTD episode on EFT/Tapping:Stream 94 - Bonus - Toolkit Tapping (Brad Yates) by Giving Voice to Depression | Listen online for free on SoundCloudhttps://recovery.com/https://givingvoicetodepression.com/Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/VoiceDepressionTerry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

Living with depression is difficult.That's true for both the person with the mood disorder, and those around them who are also affected. Last week in "Caregivers Have Needs Too," Gwen, a professional, wife and mother, shared about the challenges of partnering, parenting and running a home with a person  who experiences debilitating depression.This week, she shares the ground rules and clear boundaries that she and her husband have designed to keep life moving forward even during the times depression makes him unable to fully participate. One key takeaway is the question: What CAN you do?https://recovery.com/https://givingvoicetodepression.com/Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/VoiceDepressionTerry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

Having depression is hard.Loving and caring for someone with depression is, too. November is National Caregivers Month, and this 24-minute episode explores the need for boundaries, perspective, communication, and self-care while supporting a family member who is struggling. This 24-minute episode is a response to last week's "I Wish People Understood How Hard and Lonely it Is," in which a caregiver asked for some guidance on how to run a home and raise a child with a partner whose depression makes them unavailable at times. Our guest Gwen offers some lessons she's learned navigating a similar situation for decades. It is peer support at its finest. Resources for Caregivers:Home - Families for Depression Awareness (familyaware.org)Getting Started: Guide for New Mental Health Caregivers | Mental Health America (mhanational.org)Caregiver Mental Health | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAAhttps://recovery.com/https://givingvoicetodepression.com/Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/VoiceDepressionTerry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

A podcast listener, who is married to and raising a child with a man with depression and other mental health conditions, reached out to get some information and support from others who understand the lonely realities of her situation. Margaret describes the challenges of trying to run a house and family with a partner whose depression makes him unavailable on several levels. She speaks of the isolation, lack of support and understanding, and how very differently friends and family react to mental illness than they did to her cancer battle years ago.This 25-minute episode is an intimate and candid look into a marriage in which depression can sometimes feel like a third partner. https://recovery.com/https://givingvoicetodepression.com/Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/VoiceDepressionTerry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

As individuals, we don't have much control over world events. But when tragic news fills 24-hour news cycles, we have a responsibility to ourselves to tune in and make choices that limit the impact on our mental health. In this remixed episode, our guest, Dr. Robert Duff (Duff the Psych,) talks about the line between being informed and being negatively impacted. Dr. Anita Sanz shares her perspective as well.www.huffpost.com/entry/violent-me…nxiety_n_6671732www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4803729/www.duffthepsych.com/https://recovery.com/https://givingvoicetodepression.com/Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/VoiceDepressionTerry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

TW: Imagine one of your darkest nights. You feel worthless, and as though no one cares or would miss you.You go to bed praying that "if it doesn't hurt, please let me not wake."And then dozens of people from across the globe, people you've never met,post hearts and hugs and comments of love and support specifically for you. Would you be able to take in those messages?Would they truly help?This 27-minute podcast is Rosaleen's story of that experience. She did drink in the love and says that the messages took away depression's power, convinced her she does matter, and "pulled her out" of depression's dark pit.This is a true story. And an example of both how simple helping another human can be, and how "reaching out" can make a profound and lasting difference.  https://recovery.com/https://givingvoicetodepression.com/Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/VoiceDepressionTerry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/