As someone who seriously grew up in family dysfunction, I am used to thinking about how different I am. Maxine, and her mental illness, shaped my view of my identity. It has also shaped the thought patterns feeding my depression. I look for my flaws. And I chronically use them to beat up on myself. But, as I have healed, I have been able to look past my own misery and see that I am simply human. And I have been very conscious of how I'm like everybody else. So,when I share my experiences, I'm sharing things that others can relate to. We are all flawed. We all have problems. And if we don't deal with ourselves with compassion, it is likely to feed the biochemical monster that is mental illness.
I'm also aware of how the ways that we view ourselves impacts the way we deal with other people. Anger is a significant part of depression. And it is a symptom that I am familiar with. I constantly monitor myself for that anger. Admittedly, I'm not perfect. But I'm learning a whole lot about how to....,"Let go, let God". I battle that anger. I recognize how it triggers depression. And I truly know how important it is to have compassion for those that trigger my anger. Because at the bottom of it, I can relate. I recognize that when someone behaves in a way that triggers my anger, I know that I have done the same things. Maybe not in the same way. But I am human. I make mistakes.
How does this play out in life? I have been dealing with situations in which my anger has been triggered. And I am struggling with it. I want to simply reject these people. And cut myself off from them. In one case, I have done just that. Since it was a social media relationship, I'm not so sure that I want to re-establish the relationship. The others are different. And I suspect that at least one of them is the result of someone facing her own struggle. With the other, I have already begun to allow healing in. But with my struggling friend, I am still allowing myself to be put off by her anger. I know I will have to reach out eventually. But, I am not ready yet. It may take time. But I can't allow too much time to poison the well. That triggers my depression. And will prevent the healing that our relationship needs.
Can you relate? How is anger and depression related for you? How have you dealt with it? We can learn from each other. Let me know about your experiences. We can all benefit from sharing.
I'm also aware of how the ways that we view ourselves impacts the way we deal with other people. Anger is a significant part of depression. And it is a symptom that I am familiar with. I constantly monitor myself for that anger. Admittedly, I'm not perfect. But I'm learning a whole lot about how to....,"Let go, let God". I battle that anger. I recognize how it triggers depression. And I truly know how important it is to have compassion for those that trigger my anger. Because at the bottom of it, I can relate. I recognize that when someone behaves in a way that triggers my anger, I know that I have done the same things. Maybe not in the same way. But I am human. I make mistakes.
How does this play out in life? I have been dealing with situations in which my anger has been triggered. And I am struggling with it. I want to simply reject these people. And cut myself off from them. In one case, I have done just that. Since it was a social media relationship, I'm not so sure that I want to re-establish the relationship. The others are different. And I suspect that at least one of them is the result of someone facing her own struggle. With the other, I have already begun to allow healing in. But with my struggling friend, I am still allowing myself to be put off by her anger. I know I will have to reach out eventually. But, I am not ready yet. It may take time. But I can't allow too much time to poison the well. That triggers my depression. And will prevent the healing that our relationship needs.
Can you relate? How is anger and depression related for you? How have you dealt with it? We can learn from each other. Let me know about your experiences. We can all benefit from sharing.
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