Discouraged or Depressed?

Two Cups of Tea at Hope’s Café

First of all, just a shoutout to the good folks at PCPI Computer store who got me back online with wordpress after I was suddenly locked out. ( They didn’t even charge me!  Asked me just to spread the word so I am).   I almost gave up, considered if this was a sign to shut down the blog.  But I realize I still count on it to keep me writing with some regularity and hopefully offering something of value to others at least from time to time.  I was surprised when I realized I had actually only missed one week’s blog.  So here I am back at it!

In reading over the last blog before the lockout, I see that this blog is something of a part two.  I think of discouragement as a crossroads where one can choose to give in to despair often leading to depression or to find some means to act to challenge the despair.  This week offered me a good example of that.  WordPress doesn’t offer a good way I could find to address being locked out.  I was indeed discouraged.  I considered just canceling my subscription before they charge me again in October.  However, the irony was I couldn’t find any way on WordPress to cancel a subscription for an account I couldn’t access!

Relying on the referral of our daughter and son in law to their “computer guy” (At PCPI), I found my way to the store and threw myself on the mercy of a very patient man, who not only got me back on my wordpress site, but also got me back online with BC/BS and confirmed my current contact numbers with Google.  The lesson here is to get help when you need it.  If you are discouraged, drifting—or tumbling—towards depression, ask for help. So often we think we can handle things on our own.  Often we can.  But there are those times when we really must seek help.   At the very least we can make things so much easier on ourselves when we do.

Following my father’s death, I was really crashing.  But, hey, I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and also assisting in pastoral duties! I can do this!  I’ll never forget my kind pastor pointing out that my body language was like that of the painting of “The Scream.”  When he pointed that out, I was immediately aware it indeed was.  He strongly urged me to get a therapist.  I worked with a bereavement counselor and saw my doctor for meds.  I began to recover.

Our world today certainly lends itself to discouragement and development of depression and anxiety.  I cannot affirm enough that keeping oneself centered through meditation, nature, a good support system, music, and other means that keep you grounded, are invaluable.

I leave you with these thoughts:

“There is hope even when your brain tells you there isn’t.” — John Green.

“If there is hope in the future, there is literally power in the present.” — Zig Ziglar

“Hope is being able to see there is light in spite of the darkness.”—Fity.Club

The invitation is open to share “two cups of tea” anytime at Hope’s Café, or anywhere you share companionship and conversation.

May we be bearers of hope, the “wait staff” of Hope’s Café for each other and all those we encounter.  Shalom, Kate