If you struggle with sadness, despair, depression, or other persistently negative feelings, please talk to clergy, a physician, or mental health professional to help you regain hope and joy.
It’s probably a myth that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, but I hope it’s true for comics, cartoons, and jokes.
Every Friday on Facebook I share a “Funny”. Here are three with affiliate links (use of them supports this blog’s mission).
Nothing serious today, just enjoy. Maybe you’ll feel better too.
I hope you enjoyed these cartoons and feel a little more cheerful. If you struggle with sadness, despair, depression, or other persistently negative feelings, please talk to clergy, a physician, or mental health professional to help you regain hope and joy.
lol, Dr. Aletha
Use these links to share the heart of health wherever you connect.
Sheila Walsh an accomplished singer when she became co-host of The 700 Club. She seemed to be at the peak of her career publicly but privately she was careening downward. One evening she left the studio on the verge of suicide and checked into a mental hospital .
In another post I told you about depression from the viewpoint of blogger Darren Rowse of ProBlogger.com. He shared how he dealt with depression, steps that I endorse and recommend to my patients. In this post I talk about another public person who has depression and uses her insights to help others.
Sheila was an accomplished singer when she became co-host of The 700 Club. She seemed to be at the peak of her career publicly but privately she was careening downward. One evening she left the studio on the verge of suicide and checked into a mental hospital .
Since then she has lived with depression but not under the weight of depressive feelings.
” After entering the hospital, Sheila went through therapy and evaluation. Along the way, she discovered things about herself that were harmful. For example, when she was unable or unwilling to deal with what was true about her life, she buried it.
“You can try for years to deny the things that are tearing at your soul, but they will not go away. They thrive in the shadowlands, and if you don’t deal with them, they will one day deal with you.”
Sheila
Her doctor determined that she was severely clinically depressed. She had all the classic signs:
insomnia,
loss of memory,
loss of appetite,
overwhelming feelings of hopelessness,
loss of emotional control, and
an unbearable sadness.
Sheila’s doctor helped her understand that mental illness is a reality, a treatable reality, and there is no shame there. Through prayer, reading the Bible, therapy, and medication Sheila began to manage her depression. At the end of thirty days, Sheila left the hospital and returned to CBN to say goodbye. ”
staying in touch with trusted friends who “know all about me”
“a kind supportive boss”
In this interview with her former boss, Pat Robertson, Sheila explains how his kind and caring support, medication, and her faith helped her overcome depression .
These are all similar to things Darren mentioned in his article- exercise (walking), getting a dog, telling friends and family, medication, and prayer/meditation.
How Sheila was “Loved Back to Life”
In this book, Sheila tells her story of her recovery from depression.
Sheila’s “Unexpected Grace”
I enjoyed Sheila’s story about supporting her mother-in-law through a cancer diagnosis.
“Unexpected Grace is a tender account of the relationship between a mother and daughter-in-law and how they discovered extravagant grace in the midst of what could have been the most tragic experience of their lives. Their story will encourage you and help you see how God can bring good out of even the bleakest circumstances. “
Not everyone needs antidepressant medication, but when they do, it can make a dramatic difference. Medication needs adequate time and dosage to be effective, and once that is reached should be continued long enough for the depression to stay in remission.
If you are depressed and thinking about or planning suicide, please stop and call this number now-988
exploring the HEART of freedom from depression
Dr. Aletha
Use these links to share the heart of health wherever you connect.
watercress words by Dr Aletha 