From time to time I invite other gleaners to share here at thegleanse.
Welcome back Jeralyn Powell as she bravely shares the second installment of her yet untitled series. . .
"Silence is easy to misread. "
~A. A. Attansio
Some things are better left unsaid….right? But, truthfully, I wasn’t always comfortable or open about my depression. When I first thought this was really serious, I told people on a need to know basis. I was ashamed of not being able to control my emotions and felt solely responsible for feeling the way I did. More than anything, though, I couldn’t predict how the person would react. When I finally decided it was time to get some help, I didn’t know who to talk to or how to describe what I was feeling. All I knew was that something was wrong and the mask act wasn’t working anymore.
A month later, a physician officially diagnosed me, wrote me a couple of prescriptions, and told me to continue with my counseling sessions. What should have brought relief only brought a much heavier load. I had waited a month to be sure it wasn’t just a thing. Now, I had to face the truth. So I told the people I hoped would love me through anything, even this. I wish I could tell you that everybody was supportive, but I would be lying. Stigma is real and people generally are ignorant in what to say to a person going through depression. My friends and family (those who knew) and I all learned how to deal with the illness. In the end, my admission was the first step towards my healing.
In my silence, I would still probably be hurting. In my silence, I did more harm than good to myself and to other people around me. It’s true what they say - hurt people hurt people. Because I chose to be silent about my sickness, I lost friends, broke promises and missed opportunities. Now, I am making a different choice because too many people suffer in silence. I am choosing to break the silence so that you or your loved one no longer has to suffer.
Welcome back Jeralyn Powell as she bravely shares the second installment of her yet untitled series. . .
"Silence is easy to misread. "
~A. A. Attansio
Some things are better left unsaid….right? But, truthfully, I wasn’t always comfortable or open about my depression. When I first thought this was really serious, I told people on a need to know basis. I was ashamed of not being able to control my emotions and felt solely responsible for feeling the way I did. More than anything, though, I couldn’t predict how the person would react. When I finally decided it was time to get some help, I didn’t know who to talk to or how to describe what I was feeling. All I knew was that something was wrong and the mask act wasn’t working anymore.
A month later, a physician officially diagnosed me, wrote me a couple of prescriptions, and told me to continue with my counseling sessions. What should have brought relief only brought a much heavier load. I had waited a month to be sure it wasn’t just a thing. Now, I had to face the truth. So I told the people I hoped would love me through anything, even this. I wish I could tell you that everybody was supportive, but I would be lying. Stigma is real and people generally are ignorant in what to say to a person going through depression. My friends and family (those who knew) and I all learned how to deal with the illness. In the end, my admission was the first step towards my healing.
In my silence, I would still probably be hurting. In my silence, I did more harm than good to myself and to other people around me. It’s true what they say - hurt people hurt people. Because I chose to be silent about my sickness, I lost friends, broke promises and missed opportunities. Now, I am making a different choice because too many people suffer in silence. I am choosing to break the silence so that you or your loved one no longer has to suffer.
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