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Let's talk about #depression!
I used to be of the opinion that depression was a purely physical problem, bolstered by its onset in my case during the hormonal onslaught of pregnancy.
A lot of life experiences have taught me that it's not that simple. Nothing is, really. My current mental model is that it's multivariate. I have a #mood "set point" that is slightly lower than average, but very susceptible to perturbations.
Things that have triggered #depression in the last twelve years:
- #pregnancy
- #miscarriage
- a mild respiratory virus
- #burnout
- winter
Some of these are more physical, others more psychological. Maybe the distinction is invalid, but it is how many of us view the world.
I've learned that there are many small things that I can do to tilt the balance away from depression:
- medication
- listening to music, even a few songs a day
- a #lightbox
- planning activities to look forward to
Do these work all the time? No, I still #struggle. But appreciating how the mental and physical are intertwined and identifying different levers I have to create a better life for myself is powerful and worth celebrating.
(These posts sponsored by remembering to sign up for tap dancing class, something silly and fun that I look forward to.)