There is a small piece of me that didn't want to start this blog. I wondered if the subject matter would "depress" me. Well, the truth is, we all have something to share and maybe this is my contribution to the family members who share in the pain and burden of being around and affected by depression. This can take the form of bipolar illness, clinical depression, schizoaffective disorder, childhood depression and suicide. What separates the "sane" from the supposedly "normal"? I don't know, maybe it's birthorder or a mother's love -- or it could be simply genetics. I sort of feel that the environment plays a critical role in the development of depression. In any case, I think not much separates me from say, my brother who has schizoaffective disorder. But the truth is i've tried for years to make the case that I was different by accomplishing more.
Now, many years later, I am getting back in touch with being a sister to him and enjoying who he is -- even if it seems a bit painful for me. Afterall, mental illness, depression is not about the ill person -- it's about us and the ones who narrowly escaped the slippery slope into never never land.
So, for those who struggle with their "lucky" lot (so far) there are ways to keep living well in the face of dealing with this luck. This is the purpose of this site................ to energize you, to keep you moving toward the things you want for yourself, and to offer simple suggestions for keeping a relationship with your loved one in the midst of turmoil.
For my part, being acutely aware that I may someday face the difficulties that members of my family face and have faced, makes me more determined to understand how I can help them and myself during times of depressive episodes.
