Combating Writer's Depression
Depression is something every writer I've known faces. When you sit at your desk staring at the blank page you think of a million things, hardly any of which belong to the story your're trying to write. Did I pay the gas bill? Will they shut me off today? Was my daughter's recital this Friday or next? Did I forget to feed the dogs? Soon, these thoughts turn into: What am I doing at this desk? I'll never make it as a writer. God! Two rejections in one week! This must be hell because nothing can be as bad as this. Why do we write? Why do we sit down for hours all alone, just thinking and imagining? Most writers just want to be heard.
We are observant, intelligent, and gifted people who want our voices, our words on the page. To be read, remembered, recognized, but mostly we love the written word. We love to read. As a kid, I read anything and everything. From Tolkien to H.P.
Lovecraft, and back again. I devoured books like the air I breathed.We had contests at our local library to encourage kids to read. For every book, I got a star on a board. I would watch the stars build feeling on top of the world. I remember one week I'd read 10 books; the average was three.
I told the librarian I'd read four. Terribly embarrassed, I wanted more than anything for the other kids to like me. Readers were geeks and wallflowers. Who wants to be labelled that? My life as a child had its ups and downs, but the insecurities never really left. These same insecurities still rub at me while I'm at my writing desk.
Those dark thoughts and worries, those skeletons in the closet telling me I'll never be good enough. Those thoughts whispering in my ear how things just never go right while I'm around. When those dark thoughts come, I don't see the light. I don't remember my two beautiful and intelligent children. I don't see the good I've accomplished, the people I've helped or the friends I have.
I don't remember the fun I had at the park or Christmas visits with family. These things are locked up with my muse in the deepest darkest recesses of my mind. Nothing is good, nothing is worth trying, nothing is worth doing. Everything is the dark.I'm not alone, am I? I've yet to meet a writer who didn't think like this. Writers, artists and generally gifted people have a much higher rate of suicide, depression and alcoholism.
I believe this has a lot to do with time. Those long hours in front of the keyboard with nothing but your own thoughts. Worries you'll never see your muse again. Constant self-doubt haunting you. These thought flow into your mind because your muse decides to go on vacation.
Perhaps, you were never good to begin with. Everyone who thought you'd fall on your face was right. You try not to write, but that doesn't work. Writing is what you love, but for some reason, it just doesn't love you in return. The paragraph you just wrote sounds like a stat sheet, and the stress headache in the back of your skull won't let you concentrate.
You look at the paragraph you just wrote and think your six-year-old niece could think of something better to say. You worry more, and your tension mounts. Self-doubt turns into something much uglier, and depression begins. I can't say I know the secret of keeping this sick black tide at bay, but I do know a few things that help. Being a writer, I write, of course.
I write every angry, self-loathing thought that comes to mind. I bitch, cry, and scream into my journal letting out every thought and etch my pain out on paper in such terrible chicken scratch no one but me will be able to read. Then I try to remember all the good things. When that fails, I call a writing friend. If there's anyone on the planet who can understand, it's a fellow writer.
I have several writing friends, and I let myself talk to them. They've been where I am and, hopefully, no two of us are depressed at the same time. A group of depressed writers would make Reverend Jim's picnic look like a boring, uninventive gathering. I'm sure a whole group of us could figure out a variety of interesting and unusual things to use. Punch just seems so mundane to me.Once I've talked, cried or screamed myself back to some semblance of sanity, I re-read what I've written.
You'd be amazed how much that helps. Once you've talked things out and written them down, you own them. They are yours to do with what you like. That black tide is washed to paper and echoed in your voice. You feel a bit better.
You can start to remember the good things again. You can laugh and smile, and sometimes, you don't even realize you were depressed until the weight is lifted. I sometime scratch my head when its all over and think, "Wow, I didn't realize I was so bad off." I worry at times that one day I might not notice the black tide until it's too far gone. That the tide of depression will grab me and drag me under so far and fast I won't have time to reach out for a friendly ear or grab my journal to scream my thoughts. I've vowed to myself to talk to my friends at least once a week and try my damnedest to keep a good perspective, but it's not always easy.I'm writing this just to remind everyone they aren't alone.
Writing is a brutal profession. Rejection, deadlines, self-doubt, countless hours alone and family problems can slowly push you over the edge into depression. Please, talk to someone-- a writing buddy, a friend or relative, clergy member, counselor, anyone. Too many writers have ended their careers too soon. What would Hemingway have written in his later years, or Virginia Woolf, or more recently, Hunter S.
Thompson? Please don't keep your sadness locked inside. We can't afford to lose another brilliant mind. Take care of yourself and your fellow writers. Remember what you love, and be safe. Dedicated to: The memory of writers and artists who died too young and whose passion will never be forgotten but forever stunted by their deaths.
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C.M. Torrens is the editor of Writer's Resources and Help.com http://www.writersresourcesandhelp.com a friendly ezine for writers. She has written several short stories and articles including those found quarterly in her ezine publication.contact@writersresourcesandhelp.com"Joy, No Matter What" - Make 3 Simple Choices to Access Your Inner Joy by Carolyn Hobbs
"Over the years, I saw that our own beliefs, fears, and habitual reactions to life limit our joy much more than any spouse, boss, or devastating life experience.
I started teaching my clients to carry two questions with them in their daily lives:
?Am I feeling joy now?
If not, how am I holding my joy away?'
I walked into each therapy session and workshop with the goal of helping people reconnect with the essential joy in their core.
Over time, my three-step approach evolved:
1) say yes to what is; 2) witness your thoughts, feelings, and reactions; and 3) respond differently, with kindness and compassion.
By seeing our old habits clearly and by taking full responsibility for how we respond, we become able to hold all of life's gifts in joy."???????????????~ Carolyn Hobbs"Joy, No Matter What" (Conari Press, March 2005) shows that joy is not something "out there," only available to a select few born with emotional silver spoons...
Depression > "Joy, No Matter What" - Make 3 Simple Choices to Access Your Inner Joy by Carolyn Hobbs
Hormone Replacement Therapy - Making the Decision
Copyright 2006 Anne Wolski
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is used to alleviate the irritating effects of female menopause by replacing the estrogen which was previously produced by the ovaries. An oral dose of hormones are given to take the place of the hormones which was once produced naturally.
This is a natural part of life for all women as the ovaries stop working and therefore the natural secretion of estrogen ceases. The decline and eventual cessation of estrogen secretion by the ovaries, or to be more exact, the ovarian follicles, is responsible for menopause (the change of life).
When the secretion of estrogen fails, there are various effects on the body. First the monthly periods stop. Then the woman may experience hot flashes and night sweats.
The woman may also experience significant discomfort as the mucous membrane of the vagina atrophies, making it dryer and thinner.
Another common problem after menopause is...
Depression > Hormone Replacement Therapy - Making the Decision
The Healing Properties of a Good Fibromyalgia Diet
All people who suffer from fibromyalgia are overwhelmed by its variety of symptoms. Fibromyalgia is considered to be a serious neurological condition that in time can lead to many complications. Although millions of people worldwide are confronted with fibromyalgia, the exact causes of the disorder haven't yet been clarified. Despite the fact that scientists have been able to establish a connection between abnormal brain activity and the symptoms of fibromyalgia, the factors responsible for causing the disorder are still unknown.
The factors of risk that are considered to facilitate the occurrence and the development of fibromyalgia are stress, depression, inadequate sleeping patterns, inappropriate diet and unhealthy lifestyle.
Although many people who are exposed to all of these factors of risk don't develop neurological conditions, statistics indicate that all patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia have suffered from depression at certain stages of their lives...
The Healing Properties of a Good Fibromyalgia Diet
Depression > The Healing Properties of a Good Fibromyalgia Diet
Anorexia - a Game of Control!
This article will help you see what lies behind the eating disorder called Anorexia Nervosa, giving Anorexia tips. Low self-esteem produces a game of control. It causes a person to suffer in silence ? suffering that can lead to anorexia.Do you struggle with painful feelings about yourself, as a person? We can have so much in our western world, but lack the one thing we most desire ? acceptance and a feeling of self worth! Tania was a beautiful teenage girl. She was given compliments, but felt unable to accept them. Her distorted image of her body led her to become anorexic.
This article is not primarily about the signs and symptoms of anorexia. It's purpose is to help the reader discover what lies behind the eating disorder called anorexia nervosa. First of all, we need to understand how low self-esteem and anorexia are related.The Link Between Low Self-esteem and AnorexiaA sense of low self-esteem can be caused through inadequate nurturing as a result of emotional, physical or...
Anorexia - a Game of Control!
Depression > Anorexia - a Game of Control!
Omega 3 EPA
Copyright 2006 David McEvoy
Introduction to Omega 3
Omega 3 fatty acids are known to be beneficial to health in a number of ways, and scientific evidence is accumulating to back up the beliefs of those who have taken it for years in the form of fish oil. Some scientists believe that, as well as reducing the risk of sudden cardiac death, Omega 3 can improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels. They can also reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by keeping the heart healthy.
There is much evidence to suggest that EPA especially benefits the diet and can help with a wide range of conditions and health issues. EPA is Eicosapentaenoic Acid, one of the two active ingredients in Omega 3 (the other being DHA or Docosahexaenoic Acid), and is now considered by some leading doctors and professors in the UK as being the single most vital nutrient in the functioning of the brain and nerve stimulation.
Upping the intake of Omega 3 can help with...
Depression > Omega 3 EPA
Confront Obesity with to Fulfill Your Sexual Urge.
Fat gain may not be a reason of depression for many. But sometimes there arises such problems which make you say "God this is due to fat!" Due to fat gain you will find that your normal life is at stake and if you go on ignoring your increasing body weight, you are sure to become a base for various diseases and problems. Apart form various problems; one of the most significant problems that a fatty person confronts is that of sexual problems. This is one of the most serious problems in one's life. Accumulation of excess fats in body makes the body lazy and due to which a person tends to tire out soon.
This makes him or her ignore their partner's sexual urges and gradually a relation seems to go astray.
So becoming too much fat may create serious problems in one's personal life. If you love your partner than why not think of fat loss and regain your fitness. If you are really serious by now, it's better to act now for some vital solutions. Phentermine can be the...
Depression > Confront Obesity with to Fulfill Your Sexual Urge.
Discount Wine Gift Baskets
Wine gift baskets are welcomed in almost every home and a combination basket can thrill that much more. Mix and match them?offer a treat of red and white wines, chardonnay, Bordeaux, cabernet, port, merlot, zinfandel or that special champagne.
Cashing in on the trends, many retailers, wineries and auction houses are offering discount wine baskets that will let you select a cross-section of wines at astonishingly competitive prices. They make treasured gifts of the latest and the...
Depression > Discount Wine Gift Baskets
REFINANCE.COM Launches New Website
New York, NY (ContentDesk) May 12,2006 -- Refinance.com (http://www.refinance.com) today announced the launch of a national home refinance Web site portal www.refinance.com. The new free Web site will give the consumers The Power of Choice, when it comes to choosing a home refinancing provider by acting as a comparison portal.For consumers, Refinance.com will allow consumers interested...
Depression REFINANCE.COM Launches New Website refinance Combating Writer's Depression
Depression > REFINANCE.COM Launches New Website
New British Tax Rebates for South Africans Living in the UK
(ContentDesk) November 26, 2005 -- The new system allows any person paying British tax to invest tax-deductible funds of his or her choice into self-invested personal pensions (Sipps). A whole years income may be invested this way and the money used to buy property or other assets in South Africa. All rent earned from the property will be tax-free. An estimated 750,000 South Africans most of them between 20 and 30 years old live in London alone and will stay for an average of about five...
Depression New British Tax Rebates for South Africans Living in the UK tax help Combating Writer's Depression
Depression > New British Tax Rebates for South Africans Living in the UK
Tickle Your Senses With Yankee Candles!
How many of us remember as kids creating our own candles from our broken crayons? We'd have mom or dad help us melt down the crayons on the stove, throwing in every color of the rainbow. Then we'd carefully pour the melted wax into old cardboard milk cartons. But, how many of us were able to turn the fun of creating candles at home into a profitable money-making business? Well, Mike Kittredge, founder of Yankee Candles did just that! In 1969, when he was 16 years old, Mike melted down his...
Depression
Depression > Tickle Your Senses With Yankee Candles!
“Games on the Go” Mobile Arcade Local Mompeneur “Brings The Fun To You”
South Florida (ContentDesk) July 6, 2006 -- Local entrepreneurs Sherry Herr and Terry Shea have found a new way to bring the fun to you . At most celebrations and functions, parents end up sitting on the sidelines watching their children have all the fun. Games on the Go has the come up with a solution - the one of a kind Mobile Video Game Arcade. This mobile game center can pull up to any party or event and make it the Talk of the Town . I wanted a business that had something to do with...
Depression power generator “Games on the Go” Mobile Arcade Local Mompeneur “Brings The Fun To You” Combating Writer's Depression
Depression > “Games on the Go” Mobile Arcade Local Mompeneur “Brings The Fun To You”
Depression
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