What does your depression look like? How do you fix your face? What can you do to overcome? I woke up to another dreary day. My sight was off as if my glasses were smudged. The fog was thick. My dogs got me out of bed. They impatiently sat next to me. They took turns pouncing on the edges of my bed to lick me and get me up which is our norm nowadays. Eventually, I gave in to their requests and took them outside. Afterwards, I distanced myself from them to crawl back into my dark cave. Swiftly, I fell into a deep sleep that was a three-hour nap as usual. This was my first nap of the day. Later, I would retreat into another long nap. What does your struggle look like? For me, it's struggling to get out of bed. Struggling to manage my hygiene everyday. Struggling to fix my face with the proper mask. Struggling to keep the common areas tidy. Struggling to improve my mood. Struggling... And, struggling some more. Yet, I recognize that I can't sit and cry about my reality
This blog is about educating and empowering peers, caregivers, and loved ones with hope for recovery. I describe my experience living with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type. I've been in recovery since 2007. I've experienced setbacks, but also triumphed through challenges. I encourage you to share your thoughts and to believe that better days are attainable. Thank you for visiting. Welcome to my life in recovery... Ashley Smith