Thursday, June 01, 2023

The You Can Teach an Old Dog Weekly Link Round-Up

 

Since we're waiting for the tech to come get the pool pump and filter in tip-top shape, I thought I'd finish this up. It's been a quiet, restful week here at Casa Kittling. Since the temperatures have gone up, the starlings have left and the white-winged doves have taken their place. One thing to be thankful for is the fact that the doves aren't as bad at splashing all the water out of the birdbaths as the starlings. The doves drink, drink, drink, but don't insist on taking baths every two hours. 

It's the time of year when I find myself in this position...


Can't say it's one of my favorites, but needs must. Especially now. I discussed with my doctor how, in the past year, I've been having problems with mood swings and depression, and she's prescribed me with a low-dose anti-depressant. I thought I'd share this just in case you were under the mistaken impression that I'm Wonder Woman and just annihilate annoyances with a flick of a bracelet. And what's with the "You Can Teach an Old Dog" title of this post?

I suffered from sometimes crippling depression for a good chunk of my life. It started in my teens and grew progressively worse all the way into my forties. How bad did it get? I got in the car one morning and envisioned myself floorboarding the gas pedal, gathering up a good head of steam, and driving straight into a huge tree. And I suffered all those years in silence. I never once asked for any sort of help from anyone. 

So it doesn't matter how old you are, you are always capable of learning. For me, it was a matter of learning the NOTs: NOT feeling so ashamed of my depression that I felt I had to keep it hidden, and NOT keeping my mouth shut. To anyone reading this who has their own problems with depression, please, don't keep your mouth shut. There's nothing to be ashamed of. Get help. You're worth it.

On a much more cheerful note, I hope you're all enjoying the summer. Here are the links!



►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄
 
►Book Banning & Censorship◄


 
►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄
 
►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄
 
►The Wanderer◄
 
►Fascinating Folk◄
  • The park ranger who lives and works in the hottest place in North America.
  • Manjiro, the shipwrecked teenager who helped end Japan's isolationist era.
  • Artist Juan de Pareja had one of the most famous faces of the 17th century.
  • The many sins of Maurice E. Balk.
 
►I ♥ Lists◄

That's all for this week! Don't forget to stop by next Friday when I'll be sharing a freshly selected batch of links for your surfing pleasure.

No matter how busy you may be, don't forget that quality Me Time curled up with a good book!

13 comments:

  1. You really can always learn to take better care of yourself, Cathy. And you're right; a big step is not feeling like you have to be Wonder Woman. I really wish we were better at de-mystifying mental health, and that we were better at simply discussing it, just as we discuss, oh, I don't know, a broken arm or vision care. Glad you're getting the support you need. You can probably already guess this, but I'm on my way to Egypt now...

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    1. One of the reasons why I kept silent was because of the stigma. My mother had a nervous breakdown when she was young, and there were people in town who would still give her the side-eye years later. I do think we're closer to being able to discuss mental health normally now-- certainly much more so than back then.

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  2. I struggle at times with depression, too, so I really appreciated your post. It's very good advice...and always good to know you're not alone in your struggle. And I love that Eisenhower quote! Have a great weekend. :D

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    1. I had many suicidal thoughts. One of the things that kept me from following through was the fact that, through books, I learned that I was not alone. Books literally saved my life. Hope your weekend is a good'un, too! :-)

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  3. Bravo, Cathy! I'm happy for you that you've taken what could turn out to be a life-changing step like that. I hope you get some relief.

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    1. Thanks, Sam. I hope I do, too. At least I understand that it takes a while for the drug to build up in my system and begin to work.

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  4. Good for you, taking care of yourself! I have a sibling with depression, and it's an ongoing challenge, so I'm sure the same is true for you. Here's hoping that medication is helpful.

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    1. I'm thankful that I managed to ditch the depression for around 20 years. When it came back this past year, I wasn't about to risk going through that same old crap all over again. Denis doesn't deserve it!

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  5. Mental health is as critical as physical health. I am so glad you are following through with getting the help you need. I love books for not only the obvious reasons but as a teenager I turned to them when family crrisis arose and then as an adult when I need to pour myself into a book and escape. But they are not a substitute for professional help when needed and I'm glad you are following up. I note that mental health problem are being discussed on TV and people who struggle are discussing it, including on popular shows. And some celebrities, such as Taraji P. Henson are setting up foundations to help with this very major health problem.

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    1. I'm just taking a pill; I'm not seeing any professional. My doctor asked me about that, but I tend to be the type of person to whom talking over my feelings and problems with someone else doesn't really help. In fact, it can make the depression worse.

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  6. Well, you do what is best for you, and only you knows what works. Best wishes with that. Hopefully, you can read in the pool this summer and enjoy the sun, birds and the special iced tea you make.

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  7. My mother suffered depressive episodes, and so does my husband. It's amazing how the right treatment changes things. I'm glad you took that step.

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Thank you for taking the time to make a comment. I really appreciate it!