1. Depression and Anxiety: A Journey

3. If your strength, and feeling of purpose are stripped away from you, are YOU still YOU? joy,

4. http://www.flickr.com/photos/whatmegsaid/

5. “The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.” Steve Furtick Pastor of Elevation Church, Charlotte, NC

8. Photo referred to in recording was removed because of copyright issues.

9. A good counsellor can make a huge difference.

10. Depression/Anxiety Symptoms Physical Sensitivity to noise, light, smell Trembling Adrenalin overload (fight or flight response for no reason) Heart racing, pounding (even without any feeling of worry or dread) Very limited reservoir of physical strength Weight gain or loss Inability to sleep or the tendency to sleep all the time

11. Depression/Anxiety Symptoms Mental Deadness of emotion (during deep depression) Inability to deal with anything or anyone outside of myself Brain noise - too many thoughts, or bits of unrelated thoughts that can't be shut down Lack of focus Memory loss Confusion (like a fog) Inability to make decisions - can't come to a conclusion Fear, a feeling of inexplicable dread Deep, crippling sadness, despair, hopelessness (completely separate from circumstance)

12. Ainsworth, P. (2000) Understanding Depression “Depression may be caused by episodic misfiring of areas of the left Frontal lobe and left Temporal lobe as a result of genetic, environmental, social or physiological factors.”

14. Not my burden to carry.

15. My Role as a Mom Cherish little things Use strength for important things Just do what you can Make a game of erasing a bad experience Celebrate good days or parts of days Give yourself permission to fail

16. My Role as a Wife Be honest Trust your husband Be openly grateful and encouraging Push yourself to occasionally date or go away with your spouse

17. My Role at Work Let it go

18. My Role as a Friend Good friends will endure Stay connected somehow Let people help you Know that you will support your friends sometime in the future

19. My Role as a Stranger Smile Pay for the meal of someone else in the drive-through Little random acts of kindness If you think something nice about someone, tell them Donate blood (I also donated my hair) Buy a chicken purse

20. Here is a picture of the wonderful “chicken purse” mentioned in the recording.

21. If your strength, and feeling of purpose are stripped away from you, are YOU still YOU? joy,

22. I didn’t understand depression before and now I do. Maybe that is all that matters.

23. God is not going anywhere We’re going to be alright