According to the NIMH (National Institute for Mental Health) 23.8 million adults in the United States suffer from depression. This figure does not include anxiety disorders in which depression is also a component (GAD, PTSD, Agoraphobia, etc.). As a woman who has struggled with depression, I understand the frustration in finding accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. I also understand the day-to-day challenges of depression and how it can interfere with our relationships, our happiness and our desire for personal fulfillment. Learning to accept depression and how to manage its symptoms has played an important role in my midlife journey and one of the topics explored in my most recent book, Returning – a woman’s midlife journey to herself. In anticipation of my upcoming book release celebration, I share with you this poem (not in the book) that expresses one of the ways in which I have made peace with my struggle with depression.
Depression’s feature’s in relief against ebony curtain.
Tired of hiding from myself.
Tired of shielding the truth.
Piercing through the darkness of the blackened mirror.
Depression snapping back against the mirror that now stands behind.
I behold the treasure that lays hidden within.
Thanking depression along the way.
The birth of the Soul includes finding our way through all of the pieces of ourselves we keep hidden from the world, and finding our way through the inner obstacles, fears and insecurities that keep us from the life of purpose, fulfillment and peace that God intended. As Midwife to your Soul, I offer programs and services to assist you in moving through these inner obstacles. To schedule a one-on-one session or workshop, contact me at (920) 230-1313 or lauri@yourspiritualtruth.com.