ESTEE,
This is a great topic, I'm finding it a bit late for the conversation and I'm going to write a whole lot more than most of my usual "fluff" posts and hope I don't hit the delete button for fear of revealing too much about myself, so here goes.......my story.
I grew up in an alcoholic household, my father was the alcoholic and my mother was the co-dependant trying her best to get him to quit drinking and raise five kids, in the B'org. Being in such a disfunctional family, on top of being raised a JW was very confusing and weird to say the least however I do contribute any and all of the good that came from my life due to being raised a JW, it did provide some stability in my life and good values ect...that is something I will always be grateful for and when I passed it along to my children I was doing what I thought to be best for them at the time. Complete with the alcoholic husband, I repeated my parents life, our five kids raised in the B'org too. The kids left the truth long ago and before I did, part of it I think is because I allowed them to think for themselves and tought them the things I learned while getting help in therapy and ACOA.
breeze the link you sent has some really good information I copied and will paste the questions on depression:
Are You Depressed?
FOR MORE THAN TWO WEEKS:
1. Do you feel sad, blue, unhappy or "down in the dumps"?
2. Do you feel tired, having little energy, unable to concentrate?
3. Do you feel uneasy, restless or irritable?
4. Do you have trouble sleeping or eating (too little or too much)?
5. Do you feel that you are not enjoying the activities that you used to?
6. Do you feel that you lost interest in sex or experiencing sexual difficulties?
7. Do you feel that it takes you longer than before to make decisions or unable to concentrate?
8. Do you feel inadequate, like a failure or that nobody likes you anymore?
9. Do you feel guilty without a rational reason, or put yourself down?
10. Do you feel that things always go or will go wrong no matter how hard you try?
The point I would like to make here is as some have stated when you are ill with any physical illness you seek out a doctor to treat it, say you are having heart problems and your family doctor sends you to a heart specialist. It's no different for the same family doctor to recommend you see a Psyciatrist if you are suffering from depression or emotional problems, it's just a different "part" of the body that needs fixing, period! The only weekness is that which the body cannot fix without help so things break down weather it's in our psychie or body.
For most of if not all of my life until 13 years ago I suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts daily. It was such a way of life for me I didn't know I was ill. I just coped, did the best I could and tried to live up to all that was expected of me. It wasn't until my children started to show signs of acting out my suicidal thoughts that I sought help for them then eventually myself.
Fortunately in my early 20's I developed an interest in reading things that had to do with psychiatry and all my years of reading anything I could get my hands on helped me to see that regardless of what the WTS had to say I knew differently. I didn't have any problem with seeking help when it became so desperately needed. Thus began a long road to recovery and I recommend therapy for anyone who is suffering from depression or any other kind of mental or emotional problems.
The help is out there some of it free in support groups like AA or CoDA, it all works, it all takes time and above all else it does take courage to start going, and to hang in there over all the rough spots.
To me it was like walking thru a tunnel, when you get to the middle and it's dark, you look back and can see the familar of where you've been and you know how to deal with thatthe pull to go back is very strong.....if you're lucky at this point you'll remember something aweful that happened back then and you'll choose to keep going pushing on to the unknown. Knowing that what you've learned so far is helping and your desire to get well is so strong, yet unknown like the dark tunnel you are in but eventually you see a tiny light (strides in wellness) at the end of the tunnel.......it draws you, you continue, it becomes lighter, (more strides) you keep going, you keep learning about yourself, you draw from all the strength inside you and learn you aren't really so bad and that you are very strong and you've learned new coping skills that you know will help you from now on. The light is bright you've reached the end of the tunnel, and it was a long haul but now you can hardly remember the person who started this long journey from the person you are now.
And so your question ESTEE, does it take courage, YES! Are you week to admit you are depressed, NO! Admission is half the battle! This paragraph you wrote sums it up perfectly:
It is my opinion that it takes courage to go into therapy because the therapy helps a person to face their fears and deal with their issues - - - instead of deny and supress them. This would in fact mean that it is an emotionally strong person who is courageous enough to explore their issues in therapy and re-learn, re-program and re-parent themselves if they have had a stolen childhood, etc., due to trauma or abuse . . . . After all, they are survivors!
Thanks for the opportunity to spill my guts......I think I'll hit the reply button.
Katie
