Honesty

Episode 30: Honesty, by host, Laura Milkins. Our guest, Priya, tells the story of her depression, and how deciding to become an artist lead her out of depression. Sunday, June 24, 2016

http://www.webmd.com/depression/features/depression-asking-loved-ones-for-help

From WebMD:

Depression: Family and Friends Can Help

Few decisions are as personal as whether to tell a loved one that you are suffering from major depression. “Telling someone about depression isn’t something that you should enter into lightly, but if you choose a person whom you can trust, it can be a positive experience,” Davis says.

Xavier Amador, PhD, an adjunct professor of clinical psychology at Columbia University, says confiding in one trusted person is a key part of the treatment. “If you can, try to find someone who believes that depression is an illness. Most people don’t know all that much about it. A lot of suffering is prolonged by not telling someone.”

Kristen, who asked that her last name not be used, says she had been depressed for most of her teenage years. But she didn’t tell her parents about her illness until she landed in a psychiatric ward at the age of 20 and they called her cell phone, wanting to know where she was. “I didn’t want to put them through it, even though I had been depressed for a long time. I knew how much it would hurt them, and I didn’t want to do that to them,” she says.

Kristen, now 25, said her parents were “fantastic,” educating themselves about depression and acting as case managers by interacting with her treatment team when she could not.

She says that people who are depressed have to do what’s best for them in their situation. “I know people whose parents kicked them out of the house, or who don’t believe in depression,” she says. “Whether to divulge or not is a very personal thing.”

How to Approach Family and Friends

Most people still know little about major depression. A loved one may be frightened by seeing someone in its grip, even if they want to help.

You may not want or be able to go into a lengthy discussion with them about what major depression is, but Davis recommends that you don’t sugarcoat it either. “If you have severe depression, tell them,” he says.

You might tell the person that you probably won’t feel like talking much or doing any of the activities you used to enjoy, but that their support is comforting. If you feel like going for a walk or seeing a funny movie, ask them to go with you but not to push you to do more.

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Judgement

Episode 29: Judgement, by host, Laura Milkins. Our guest, Rae, tells the story of his depression, and how twelve step programs, therapy and the right medication helped him find some balance. Sunday, June 17, 2016

“People will love you. People will hate you. And none of it will have anything to do with you.”

― Abraham Hicks

Travel

Episode 28: Travel, by host, Laura Milkins. Our guest, Steve, tells the story of his depression, and how getting diagnosis and treatment for his bipolar disorder has given him new perspective on his life. Sunday, June 10, 2016

 

Packing

Episode 27: Packing, by host, Laura Milkins. Our guest, Mellinda Cromeens, tells the story of her depression, and how medication and her love of dance helped her be able to find acceptance and a sense of wellbeing: Sunday, May 29, 2016

“I get ideas about what is essential when packing my suitcase.” -Diane von Furstenberg

Traveling With Depression: What to Expect
http://www.webmd.com/depression/features/traveling-with-holiday-depression

Travel, according to Philip Muskin, MD, can affect people in different ways. Muskin is a professor of clinical psychiatry and chief of consultation-liaison psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. He tells WebMD, “On one hand, being in a fresh setting may be very beneficial. You’re in a new location, on vacation, and you don’t need to get up at 6 in the morning for the daily commute. In this fresh environment, stressors are reduced, and you feel a heck of a lot better without the pressures that the holiday blues have been magnifying.”

On the other hand, Muskin says, travel is far more stressful than it used to be. “We like to think of it as over the river and through the woods,” he says. “But it’s not. It’s more like eight hours in traffic on the Jersey turnpike or long, seemingly endless lines in the airport.” He points out that there are fewer, more crowded flights and far more airport congestion now than in the past.

“Travel can be very stressful,” he says, “and if you’re depressed, your frustration tolerance doesn’t have that roll-with-the-punches resiliency.” As a result, when something happens like your flight getting delayed, you are less likely to tell yourself, “It’s no big deal.”

“Preparation is essential any time you travel,” says Helen Grusd, PhD, a clinical psychologist in Beverly Hills, Calif. and past president of the LA County Psychological Association. “Preparation is your best inoculation against stress.”

The preparation Grusd is talking about isn’t deciding what clothes you are going to take. “You need to prepare yourself emotionally. How are you going to empower yourself?”

Yeah, how am I going to empower myself?

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”  –Gustave Flaubert