Poll | 11/17/2008 11:00 pm

What do you do keep your spirits up during hard times?

Read more about: Economy, exercise, Food, Hard Times, Work

94 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Suzanne, needed to get rid of Microsoft as much as possible in my life—using an IMac now and couldn’t be happier—so gmail was a logical course to take—Hotmail has been a pain for quite some time and I’m frankly glad to be don with it. A Cassiopoeia is the icon i use here—it’s the remnants of a supernova recently re-discovered. As for abandonment—Suzanne, darlink, how could you think that :-)

By f p on 11/19/2008 6:33 am

e-mail alert

Welcome back , Frank

By Jeannot Kensinger on 11/18/2008 10:10 pm

e-mail alert

Jeannot, how are you?

By f p on 11/19/2008 6:34 am

e-mail alert

This is about cheering up isn’t it? We seem to have some of the squad assembled so let’s dust off our cheerleading skills….Ready? Gimme an F…bomp,bomp Gimme an R..bomp,bomp Gimme an A..bomp,bomp Gimme an N..bomp,bomp Gimme ………..Oh, you caught on already, didn’t you……..?

By georgia fatwood on 11/19/2008 10:29 am

e-mail alert

lmao—Georgia—you da best!~ :-)

By f p on 11/19/2008 10:36 am

e-mail alert

As I approached my birthday today, I honestly pondered the mystery of my resiliency. Such an important character trait, yet rarely mentioned. I’ve seen many dark times, some of them of my own invention. It’s been hard to accept but important to acknowledge that depression has been a constant in my life. Not the debilitating type, but the type of depression that robs the soul of joy and adventure. In this second- half of my life, I’ve learned to speak to the fear that envelopes me and reject the negative feelings. Saying no to a feeling is a declaration of intent. When you are a prisoner of your feelings like I have been for so long, you find a coping mechanism. That brings me back to the resiliency that I developed over the years. The first thing that I try to do when I’m in the dark place is pray. Praying reminds me that God has given me the power to leave this place. So I exercise my faith that times will be better. I concentrate on helping others around me, I remember happy moments and I try to focus on the completion of a goal in the future. This process takes time, but its effect to bring me out of hopelessness makes me stronger for the next life challenge.

By Lena B on 11/18/2008 9:21 am

e-mail alert

Lena B, Happy Birthday. Thank you for the wisdom in your response. While most defined “hard times” as the current economy, you expanded the definition to depression, which can be with us regardless of the state of the economy. Many happy returns of the day to you!

By elaine s on 11/18/2008 2:29 pm

e-mail alert

Thank you Sister Elaine! I approached this birthday with some sadness that everything is not quite like I want it to be. This was the perfect question today because it gave me another way to exercise my faith and be grateful for being alive to enjoy my 45th year.

By Lena B on 11/18/2008 3:22 pm

e-mail alert

Lena, Please allow me to share my experience with you, so that maybe your next year will be happier. I too live with depression. I used to pray, all the time. I still pray, but in a more grateful way. After years of struggle, I found my way to a mother earth psychiatrist. I told her what I was always thinking, and she prescribed a drug that made me not think that way anymore. After about two weeks, I looked up at the sky and saw how beautiful it was. My brain chemistry had not been right. I can look back in my family and see a long line of people struggling with the same problem. I have always appreciated my psychiatrist’s many years of study. She could see that my thinking wasn’t normal and prescribe something that opened my eyes to the beauty of the world. Hopelessness is not normal for a healthy woman. I don’t mean to be intrusive, but you struck a chord in my heart.

By Murnah H on 11/18/2008 8:54 pm

e-mail alert

Hey Hey Hey, Happy birthday to you Sister Lena!!! Girl you know I’m on the same page as you… My faith in God is everything to me and that is why amidst all the nonsense in this world, I am completely at peace as I know that to those who look to our Heavenly Father are kept in his hands and have nothing to fear when all falls down around them. I wish for you always, not only on this special day but for everyday…God’s love and peace. The love that endures forever and the peace that surpasses all understanding! :)

By HA BIBI on 11/18/2008 9:02 pm

e-mail alert

Thank you Sister Murnah and Sister Elaine for sending me those loving birthday wishes! Sister Murnah you are so correct that a specialized healer can make the difference. My experiences in counseling have not been favorable, but I know that therapy is very effective. Not much help with the antidepressants that I’ve taken in the past, but I’m not in despair and won’t give up. Some people live with dysmythia for years before they get real help. Now that I think I understand more about depression, it’s time to take action. Thank you again ladies for reaching out to me (smile).

By Lena B on 11/19/2008 11:14 am

e-mail alert

Sorry, misspelled dysthymia. It’s a medical term for chronic low-grade depression.

By Lena B on 11/19/2008 11:24 am

e-mail alert

Lena, have you tried a psycho-analyst? Just a suggestion - many people who do find a great difference in their experience, and outcome. In the interim, my heart’s with you. I’ve known people who strove daily through depression, and the dips I’ve had in life scared the blaxes out of me; however, many of us may have been depressed without realizing it. Antidepressants don’t often work, I fear. I have a friend who spent years in therapy, on everything imaginable, until she found a psych-analyst because they moved and she had no other choice (great coincidence, eh!). Lo and behold she discovered she had been sexually molested as a wee child - now, she is doing so well, it brings tears to my eyes. Just remember one thing - always put perfume under your own nose first, and when you see a live branch, flower, leaves, anything that grows from soil, take it, and gloriously feature it in the finest vase (or any other grand container) you can find. Tight hugs.

By C jay on 11/19/2008 12:43 pm

e-mail alert

I cannot spell on this date!

By C jay on 11/19/2008 12:46 pm

e-mail alert

Thank you for your recommendation Sister Carol. I met a nice psychoanalyst at a recent conference I attended this month. She works in Maryland, but I’m sure I can email her and see if she knows someone good in my area.

By Lena B on 11/19/2008 1:41 pm