Hazelden

Another post straight from my inbox. This one is just so cool because I've been in a major funk for a few weeks. I haven't been in a depression like this in years. It's one of those deep depressions where I feel like I'm walking in a fog. The good news is, I know this is only temporary. I have a hard time sitting with my "negative" phases, and I have this overwhelming desire to change it. But this time, I think I'm just going to stop resisting...it's ok to struggle sometimes, it's ok to walk in a fog for awhile, it's ok to not be ok all the time. Without further ado:

Today's thought for Hazelden is:

"Depressions are transition times for me," an older fellow stated. "I look at my lows as a preparation period, an inner time to grow and change even though I'm not consciously aware of what's going on inside me. But I didn't always think this way.

"I used to get terrified when I got into one of those low periods. Every time I did, I questioned everything I ever believed in. I doubted myself and my abilities, my opinions and values, my friends and my boss. Nothing escaped my painful questioning. I thought for sure I was going insane. The pain was so unbearable I wanted to drink, work harder, anything, to distract me from my anguish.

"Now when I get low, I take it more in stride. I think of my depression as part of a natural cycle. Just as nature has its fall, winter, and spring, I, too, have a period of shedding old growth for new growth. I just endure my grey days knowing the sun will shine again just as the trees will bloom after winter. As part of the natural world around me, I, too, have my seasons of joy and sorrow."

Today I will remember that my lows are as natural as my highs. I will not become overwhelmed and exaggerate the significance of my depressions. I will endure patiently, knowing that whatever faces me will pass in time.

You are reading from the book:

The Reflecting Pond by Liane Cordes

You can get these daily reflections here.