Aren’t I done with this? #HoldOntoTheLight by Jade Lee / Kathy Lyons
October 5, 2016
The #HoldOntoTheLight campaign has asked authors to share openly about
depression and since I’ve struggled with it all my life, I was asked to
participate. The good news is that I’m so much better than I was before. In
fact, every day is a joyous smile of yes, yes, yes! And yes, I’m lying. The
truth is that every day is NOT a glorious wave of internal joy, but on the
whole, it’s way better than it was before. Depression is hard and thoughts of suicide are real. I know, I’ve been there.
Guess what was the most important thing I learned about my depressions.
- Johnny Depp did not cheer me up. Even his 21 Jump Street reruns.
- Depression is a cycle. Sure I’ll get depressed again. Maybe even linger on
(obsess about) suicide. But I climbed out the last dozen times, and I’ll climb
out this time, too. That’s a certainty. I just have to hold on until it
happens.
- The only one putting pressure on myself is me. That means I can remind
myself—a thousand times if necessary—that it’s okay to miss a book deadline,
soccer game, or PTA meeting. (In fact, I’ve only attended one PTA meeting ever.
Oops!)
- SRIs (medication) let me sleep. Finally, blissfully, wonderfully sleep. Let
me tell you, insomnia always made my depression worse and it was always the
first sign. Ugh!
Answer: B – The struggle against depression played out in agonizing
battles in my brain. A gray fog of awfulness seemed to pervade everything and it
constantly told me I was a failure. Worse, a single battle would often take
months. And that’s not even counting the eons that passed every night I couldn’t
sleep. Once I climbed out of my depression and moved on, I remembered
thinking—often—thank God that’s over. Which meant that when I hit the battle
again, I was triply depressed because I thought I’d finished with that part of
my life. Apparently not. Once I realized that my depression cycled, life changed immeasurably for the
better. Sure, I’ll probably get depressed again. Deeply so. But on the upside,
that means I’ll climb out of it, too. I have before, I can do it again.
And—bonus—I know better how to handle it. Medication so I can sleep. (I HATE
INSOMNIA!) I completely stop all deadlines and let myself binge watch whatever I
want even if it’s 20 Jump Street reruns. I do love Johnny Depp. I just
don’t think he’ll magically bring me out of my funk. I also take long walks, get
a massage, and absolutely find a way to lay out in the sun. (Vit D deficiency is
a big thing for me.) Hopefully, you have no idea what I’m talking about. But if you do, know that
there is help. There are counselors, medications, and therapies to get you
through. And big hugs from me. And now it’s your turn to leave a comment. You can give love to those in the
battle or talk about the struggle. One lucky winner will get an e-copy of The Bear Who Loved Me by Kathy Lyons. About the campaign:#HoldOnToTheLight is a blog campaign encompassing blog posts by fantasy and
science fiction authors around the world in an effort to raise awareness around
treatment for depression, suicide prevention, domestic violence intervention,
PTSD initiatives, bullying prevention and other mental health-related issues. We
believe fandom should be supportive, welcoming and inclusive, in the long
tradition of fandom taking care of its own. We encourage readers and fans to
seek the help they or their loved ones need without shame or embarrassment. Please consider donating to or volunteering for organizations dedicated to
treatment and prevention such as: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention,
Home for the Warriors (PTSD), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI),
Canadian Mental Health Association, MIND (UK), SANE (UK), BeyondBlue
(Australia), To Write Love On Her Arms and the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. To find out more about #HoldOnToTheLight, find a list of participating authors,
or reach a media contact, go to Facebook
Group.
Grizzlies Gone
Wild #1
WHEN AN ALPHA MEETS HIS MATCH . . .
Between single-handedly running her bakery and raising her teenaged nephew,
Becca Weitz thought she had a decent grip on “normal.” Then her nephew vanishes,
and life as she’s known it changes forever. Local legends are true: bear
shifters exist . . . and her nephew is part of their clan. As is Carl Carman,
the sexy, larger-than-life man who has sworn to find her nephew-and the other
young shifters who’ve gone missing.
As the leader of his clan, Carl is surrounded by enemies. He’s learned the
hard way that keeping a firm leash on his inner beast is key to survival, though
his feelings for Becca test his legendary control. Then danger stalks too close,
and Carl realizes he must unleash the raging, primal force within to protect
everything he holds dear. But can Becca trust his grizzly side with her life-and
her heart?
Romance Paranormal
[Forever Yours, On Sale: September 6, 2016, e-Book,
ISBN: 9781455540914 / eISBN: 9781455540921]
Kathy Lyons is the fun, contemporary side of USA Today Bestselling
author Jade Lee. She loves sassy romance with lots of laughter and sex. Spice
is the variety of life, right? Okay, so maybe two kids, two cats, two pennames,
and writing over 50 books has messed with her mind, but she still keeps having
fun. Or hang out with her sexy historical half, Jade Lee. Titled
heroes with dark secrets are Jade’s passion. Especially when they fall for
women who add more than just spice to their lives.
Comments
6 comments posted.
Re: Aren’t I done with this? #HoldOntoTheLight by Jade Lee / Kathy Lyons
I'm sad to say that I also experienced depression. I feel like depression cycles throughout the year. Not sure yet what method I want to incorporate to combat it, but I have some solutions I can try in the near future. (Ela Raymundo 11:41pm October 5, 2016)
I've also experienced depression (bipolar). It is tough. (Cheryl Bradley 7:54am October 6, 2016)
No I'm can't say that I have experienced depression. (Valerie Miller 4:01pm October 6, 2016)
I feel blessed that I have never experienced depression. (Jana B 6:01pm October 7, 2016)
I've been struggling with depression for over 40 years. Everyone was of the opinion that it was my idea to be depressed. About 10 years ago I finally got some help in form of an antidepressant. It's still a battle. Sometimes instead of fighting it I just let myself wallow a day or two. I know I will always fight with self loathing but I will also have good times. (Melanie Rosen 8:19pm October 8, 2016)
Thanks for sharing, I have found this post to be very helpful and informative as I suffer with periods of depression as well (Eva Millien 11:41am October 9, 2016)
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