untonuggan | Depression is a Lying Bastard Fest

It has come to my attention that it is That Time of Year again for most people with SAD in the Northern Hemisphere, and that for many other folks Bad Things and/or Anniversaries seem to be piling up. At times like this, it is hard to remember that Depression is a Lying Bastard and that it *does* get better again.

So! A friend and I came up with the Depression is a Lying Bastard Fest. There are many ways to participate in comments below:

a gratitude list (because there are still good things in the world) or a list of good things
something you are proud of (a la the Monday Pride thread)
a funny poem (limmericks work well here)
cute things! animals, babies, whatever floats your boat!
anti-winter and/or anti-depression manifestos! This can be in the form of a poem or a simple declaration of "Fuck you, brain weasels, and your lying ways! I will not believe your lies!"

Feel free to comment on someone's comment if you find it particularly moving, but please keep things positive. Anonymous comments are currently turned on. (Please don't abuse them.)

If this grows and becomes very popular, or if you have more ideas, feel free to spread the Depression is a Lying Bastard Fest to your own journal or comm! Also, I would love it if you linked back here so that we got more participants. ^_^

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(I've crossposted a longer version to my own blog)

- I was offered a temp assignment covering for an real, fully-fledged editor. (I'm a copyeditor/freelancer/occasional temping at publishers). And I stepped into the editor's shoes and did all of the things I was told to do and did them well without needing supervision.
- I've done a lot of working on how I think and what I need to know in order to master complex skills, and I've broken through a number of walls. This doesn't yet completely translate to the page in my writing, but I'm starting to see the first results, and I'm loving it.
- I went to a meetup for a blog I occasionally read and it was full of awesome people, and awesome conversations were had.
- I finished one of my personal side projects, a Filemaker database focussed on what the next step in any given project is. And it contains items that I want to do which I can do when I can't brain and items that will only take a few minutes for when I feel I haven't achieved anything that day, and items I can tackle when I feel particularly inspired to Do Something. Depression/Anxiety is constricting my focus, this is helping to open it up again in a non-threatening, non-overwhelming manner, because I can just Hide All The Scary Things if I need to.
- I have truly awesome friends.

\o/ So glad that you found some good things, and that you even have a longer list to share on your own journal. *jedi hugs*

Thank you for the hugs and backatcha. And thanks for hosting this - I've been struggling lately, and wrote several 'my life sucks' posts without getting around to the good things.

I have list envy! In a good way, mind, not a bad one. I am all of asquee reading this list of good things. (And, um, out of words to say something more constructive, but I am not going to let that stop me from commenting at all today!)

I love the idea of your Filemaker database and am glad it sounds like it's working really well for you. <3 (And I may nab your idea of Hiding All The Scary Things, or at least trying to pretend they don't exist, because that sounds super useful.)

I really wish I had the full version of FM that would allow me to turn databases into standalone apps, but right now, I've only for the standard version.

My experience with To-Do lists has been that I keep them for a short while and then they become overwhelming - do fifteen impossible things before breakfast! and so I go into meltdown/avoidance mode. (I am, alas, good at avoidance.)

I found a list of 'things to tackle next' (including, if possible, things I can do when I can't brain and things I can do when I need to feel productive/feel all fired up and want to dig my teeth into something) helps. If I demand too much of myself, I get nothing done at all, which is Not Helpful.

One day!

I am definitely passing on some of your ideas and methods to a friend, though, as I hope it'll help them deal with similar issues. ^-^ And... I like your idea of splitting it up into things you can do when you can't brain and things when you can. That sounds really useful. I should try that. ^_^

*sends good thoughts*

Awesome for doing the editor job very well! Shame I can't install you as editor in our local paper - lord knows it needs a good editor!

I've done a lot of working on how I think and what I need to know in order to master complex skills, and I've broken through a number of walls.

That's a great idea, sincerely. We get put off complex-sounding things because they sound ... complex, but really, all complex things are just built up bit by bit. We didn't learn how to dress ourselves instantly (nor were we born knowing it): we learned pulling on shirts and pants with elastic, then later upgrated to velcro or zippers or something, then later learned buttons, still later learned how to tie our shoes, still later learned how to fix our hair, and so on. So why should any other complex skill be any different? Just gotta break it down to its component bits, learn those, take it one bit at a time.

Thank you for this. That's really helped me.

The database is also a brilliant idea. I had to look up Filemaker; I don't have the funds for that, but I'll bet I could figure out something to do that job. I'm always after ways to use technology to make my life easier, and also after ways to get things out of my head so they don't swirl around irritating me endlessly, or worse, making me feel overwhelmed. That way lies bouts of depression. Yes, thank you for this idea, too, this is brilliant.

all complex things are just built up bit by bit.

For me, it's the other way round - I need to grok a complex thing in its complexity before I can tackle inidividual bits. And first I needed to work out how I learn, and then I needed to find the courage *to* recast everything I didn't grok in ways that I do.

I had to look up Filemaker; I don't have the funds for that, but I'll bet I could figure out something to do that job.

Filemaker has a free trial. If you're interested I can tidy the database up a bit and send it to you, so you can have a poke around. Eventually, I'll be upgrading to Filemaker Advanced, which would allow me to create standalone versions; in that case, I'd be happy to send you (or anyone else reading here) a copy of this. (Brainweasels bad. Tools to combat brainweasels good.)

I rarely have a depressive/anxious state where I can't do anything; but I often have one where there are so many things I should do (but I can't remember a lot of them) that I end up not doing anything productive. Having a choice of a very small number of productive steps (I could process a folder of photographs or review this concept or read that article) makes me more likely to do *something* - and I've long ago moved into the territory of not being overly worried about procrastinating with something productive: if stuff gets done, that counts as a good day, even if it's not really the stuff I meant to do.

Aw, thanks so much, that's very kind of you to offer. No, just the idea is good enough for me - I've already got a half-formed idea of how to do it with my current set of software, in a way that will meet my needs. :-)

there are so many things I should do (but I can't remember a lot of them) that I end up not doing anything productive

Aye, I feel you on that! *hugs*

Depression is a Lying Bastard Fest

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