2009 October | Depression On My Mind

Depression and my “drunk dreams”

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

I had another "drunk dream" last night. After eleven years of sobriety I do not have them as often but I do still have them and probably always will. "Drunk dreams" are the dreams of ...

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Suicide: What can I say?

Monday, October 26th, 2009

I emceed the annual Out of the Darkness walk last Saturday for our local chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. This group is very special to me - not just because ...

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The guilt of the mentally ill parent

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

I got sober within hours of my husband and I splitting up. That was 11 years ago. Our daughter was 6. She is about to turn turn 18 and we are in college application hell. ...

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You know you are getting better when you want to be you

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

I was having a discussion with some friends a while ago and someone asked this question: If you could be anyone, who would you be? Angelina Jolie popped into my head because, come on, those lips are ...

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Dual diagnosis: “Many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest”

Sunday, October 18th, 2009

There are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest. Chapter 5, ...

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Dual-diagnosis: Remembering to remember how bad it was

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

I have an illness that tells me I do not have an illness. I am an alcoholic. It is one of three mental illnesses that I have - along with depression and bipolar. I have ...

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Mental health research: Call me stupid… but willing

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

As someone who has depression, bipolar and alcoholism, I love to read about research. My problem is that I often cannot understand a word of what I am reading. I cannot even pronounce half of ...

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Dual diagnosis: Race and recovery

Sunday, October 11th, 2009

My name is Christine, and I am mentally ill. I have depression, bipolar and alcoholism. I am also white (actually I am kind of a pasty beige with age spots freckles but race ...

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Depression, dreams and the Red Book: Today is the day!

Wednesday, October 7th, 2009

"Morning, honey. Howd-ya sleep?" I have been asking my daughter this question every morning for years. Even when she was a little girl I would ask, "Did you sleep okay?" The next question: "Did you have any ...

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Depression: Financial self-flagellation and self-esteem

Monday, October 5th, 2009

"Depression is about self-esteem," my therapist told me at our last session. Really? I thought it was about dopamine and seratonin and synapses. Yes, it is biological but in my latest bout I played Russian roulette ...

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