Yes…words like “I’m depressed” really do not help. Feeling down is not the same as feeling depressed. It’s important to make the distinction, so that we can begin to change our perspectives and “influence” the way we feel.

Evelyn Lims last blog post..7 Wise Confucius Sayings

Depression and mental illness runs very deep in my family. I’ve always thought I was immune to this but nobody is and now I realize how silly my thoughts were but they were defensive thoughts. If I think it, it must be true.

What got to me the most in your post is the apology and forgivness. Not to turn this into a therapy session but blogging, reading and commenting is cheaper! LOL! I haven’t “forgiven” two people in my life and I can honestly say, it impacts my life weekly, if not daily. I don’t admit to this but it’s true. Choosing to forgive is hard. I’m not waiting for an apology though, that’s the difference. I really have to ponder all of this.

Monica, as always…detailed and excellent post. Bravo. I’m tweeting it right now!

Sommers last blog post..What luxury would you give up to help someone?

“Most people have made the mistake of believing that their thoughts and feelings define who they are.”

I feel that this realization is the key to everything else. Your section “Making a Crucial Error in Judgment” says it all. Anyone who suffers from depression should read that section several times, then use that as a foundation for everything else in this insightful article.

Long-term depression is devastating; it is a dark, and lonely, and empty, place to be. If you suffer from depression — read this article and work with it.

Best,
John