Friendships and support....

Of course, I’ve established that I believe that support by friends and family are important to recovery.  In many articles on my blog I have talked about the role that support has in your toolbox. I’ve also talked about the discomfort in creating a support system and how you need to ‘just do it’. Today, I’m going to talk about how we create those friendships.  First of all, I acknowledge that social behavior and getting to know people is difficult.  I am more gregarious by nature, so for me…that usually isn’t true.  But even I have trouble with it sometimes.  It really is intimidating.  This intimidation factor is magnified by depression. Depression and isolation seem to go together.

But you have to fight the tendency to isolate  It makes a big difference. I’ve been doing this recently.  Moving to a new place has meant that I have to INCREASE my circle of friends.  It’s great to have Facebook friends, but having a special friend to go to lunch with is important.  And luckily, I’ve been following what I KNOW works to create that new circle of friendships.  First of all, I got out into the community.  Given that I no longer have my car that has been a little difficult.  But I have done it.  Getting out has been helped by getting a job. I am with people on an almost daily basis.  My friends at my new job have become ‘friends’ very quickly.  I am working in a very warm and loving environment in which it is natural and a given that we create personal bonds.  And it makes work a lot of fun. 

Second, I’ve come up with a plan.  While I am not yet living in the community in which I will FINALLY live, I’m researching options.  Meetups or library classes.  Maybe volunteer opportunities.  Places where people with the same interests as I have congregate.  Now, I have to admit that not all my ideas are working. But I have faith that some will and so I’m persistent.  Eventually, I plan to find a support group of some kind.  Having people in your life that know what it is like to live with depression is kind of important to me.  So, I will look for some options.  Support is key to survival. And the more that you have, the better it works during the tough times.  

If you have challenges in creating this support system, reach out to me.  I know what it is like to try to work things out through challenges.  I would love to be your support system and to help you build this system one ‘brick’ at a time.  Two heads are better than one.  Reach out to me today.  In the meantime, I’ll be enjoying that my new support system is right outside my door.  And I have new ‘besties’ to share life with.