I’ve found that it helps to have things planned when you have depression problems. You may not WANT to plan things, but making the effort can make a huge difference. If you’re lonely, check out meetin.org or Craigslist groups.
I talk about these sites all of the time because I’ve met SO many friends off the internet. There is also a great group called USA Fit (usafit.com) that helps people walk or run marathons. Don’t worry! You can just do the group without doing the marathon, but I did a ten mile walk once! This is a great way to stay healthy and meet lots of new people. The registration will be in 2009, but you can get connected to your city group now.
Depression is isolating- but just doing one thing that makes you get outside the house can cut your depression symptoms in half in one day. No kidding. My motto is: I want to go to bed feeling better than when I got up.
That motto really helps on the tough days. This is why I wrote the book Get it Done When You’re Depressed. I wanted to help others get out and end that depression!
Julie
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Julie A. Fast best selling author of Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder, Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder and Get it Done When You're Depressed is a critically acclaimed six-time author, award winning bipolar disorder advice columnist, national speaker, and sought after expert in the fields of bipolar disorder and depression. Julie’s work specializes in helping people manage all aspects of their daily lives -despite the complications that bipolar disorder creates. To learn how to personalize a plan to help yourself or a loved one find and create stability that ensures the quality of life that we all deserve, visit: http://www.bipolarhappens.com
When you say you have trouble finding a comfortable place to work, do you mean creating good physical surroundings? Finding an appropriate setting? Balancing solitude with working with people? Just curious.
Hi!
It’s all of those things. I guess my main problem is brain fog when it comes to focusing on thing I have to do in order. For example, I have a ton of deadlines in the next week. A book chapter is due. I have to get ready for my DBSA (Depression Bipolar Support Alliance) presentation for the September conference and I have to get copy ready for a class I’m teaching. If I have one project- I can complete it very easily. Having five or six projects jumbles my mind. I make a lot of charts! Another problem is that a lot of my work brings money in months and months later- such as writing a book. So I have to work on what is financially viable first, but sometimes that is not what has to get done!
I like working in crowds while I listen to my ipod. So that is not a problem.
I often find chairs and the height of tables a problem. I never work at home as I get too distracted! It’s for all of these ridiculous roadblocks is why I wrote Get it Done When You’re Depressed. The reason I WILL meet all of my deadlines is because of the tips in that book.
I’m excited that I can work again. It’s a miracle. But no one told me the scheduling would be so hard. My brain just stops and if I’m not really careful the depression comes back pretty strongly!
I’ve had trouble working for about a week now. That’s nothing new- what’s odd is that I haven’t been depressed- just restless and a bit unhappy. Wait! That is depression!
I’m using all of my techniques to end this non productive cycle.
My goal today is making it to the library to work on a project that’s due the 18th. That is a problem. Just writing it down on this blog is stressful, so it makes more sense to go take care of the problem than worry about it all day.
I will keep you posted.
Do you need to do something you’ve been putting off?
I had an idea today- and I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before. I’m going to put a copy of Get it Done When You’re Depressed on the passenger seat of my car= so that when I’m driving around and can’t FOCUS or GET TO WORK or MAKE A DECISION I can just look at the table of contents and know what to do. Yes, I wrote it- but I still have to use it daily.
I hate not being able to easily settle down. I feel so guilty and unhappy when I don’t get my work done.
Best Mental Health Advice Column in the United States goes to Julie A. Fast
June 2007
Mental Health America recognizes superlative media coverage of mental health issues by journalists in television, print, radio, online, wire, photography and entertainment. The MHA media awards are the only peer judged competition for mental health reporting in the United States.
Along with 12 other media professionals, Julie Fast will receive a recognition award in Washington DC on June 8, 2007.
"Mental illnesses ruins lives, but it doesn’t have to be this way. I want my readers to know that if I can have a productive life despite being mentally ill, they can do so as well. The Mental Health America award helps me see that my writing does make a difference and it certainly makes me want to continue educating the world on how to treat mental illness successfully. It is possible!” - Julie Fast
