depression – The Lisa Chronicles

Today is #BellLetsTalk day. It is a day to bring awareness on Mental Health issues. I don’t know about you and the friends that you have, but with a lot of different people in my life this is an ongoing topic of conversation. We are having #bellletstalk daily.

Life is challenging. Not all people think that they have mental health issues, but I think more do than they realize. Have you ever just felt like not getting out of your pajamas or taking a shower? How about not wanting to go out with your friends or talk on the phone? How about crying for would appear to be no apparent reason? How about feeling like every one you know is moving and you are standing still? Well guess what, those are mental health issues.

We all have bruises. Some are visible but others are not. Sometimes it manifests itself outwardly like passive aggressive behaviours on social media. Maybe you have done it and not even realized your comment was exactly that. Sometimes what you don’t say is almost as important as what you do say. Passive aggressive comments on facebook are more often than not written for a reaction, a “like” or a comment. Your friends will give you the “rah rah” cheer of approval. Others may look at it and know that it is more than that.

One of the things that happens sometimes is that people get pushed away. While it is true that everyone has their problems, everyone’s are their own and different. There is a saying that if everyone put all their problems in one big pile you would be guaranteed to take yours back. That may very well be true.

Reaching out is hard. While you are going through whatever it is you are going through, you may not really want to hear about your friend’s issues, whatever they may be. You need to keep trying. Friends often tell you what you want to hear, not necessarily what you need to hear. Tough love isn’t easy to give or receive. Everyone is responsible for their own actions and reactions. Sometimes you even get unfriended on Facebook or stop calling or your phone stops ringing.

I am trying to say a lot of things, without being too specific. It is hard. Ellen Degeneres ends her show every day ‘be kind to one another’. I would also say not to give up on your friends that may have dropped off the grid for a while. Since today is #BellLetsTalk day, reach out and send a message to just one person. If everyone reached out to one of their friends today, think about the impact of that.

Live your best life,

Lisa

It is Friday. It has been a long week.

About a week ago I was having lunch with a friend. I was saying that I think I needed to take a ‘hiatus’ from Facebook. I know that there was no way I was removing my account or anything like that, but a break, just a week (or a few days who am I kidding) away from it all.

That was the plan this week….until Monday night.

I worked all day, and then went straight to a condo board meeting. When I came upstairs, the first thing I did was of course look at facebook. What I was saw pretty much changed my trajectory for the rest of the week.

This has to be a hoax. This can’t be real. What is going on? Robin Williams is dead? These were the updates flying all over my news feed. I had to find out what the heck was all of this about, and spent the rest of the night engrossed in this crazy little experiment called social media.

I felt like I was punched in the stomach. Obviously he was not a ‘friend’ of mine, or a relative, or even an acquaintance, but as I am finding from so many posts, blogs, stories this week, he was a part of my life just like he was in so many others. His characters, his voice, his jokes seemed to be like a nicely woven rug through my life.

I started to think about all the ways in which the genius of Robin Williams touched my life.

Let’s start with the obvious….Mork from Ork. Happy days was (and will always be) one of my all time favourite shows. Looking at the clips now, I was too young to really understand what about to happen. Henry Winkler told tv reporters this week that the cast knew they were witnessing something never seen before, comic genius.

There are iconic roles, like Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets Society, Mrs. Doubtfire, Alladin, The Fisher King, Good Morning Vietnam, I could go on and on and on. Movies that are part of my life, decade by decade. Comedy or tragedy. Patch Adams, Awakenings, Moscow on the Hudson, The Fisher King….really, where does it end?

But it did end. At only 63 years young, it all came to an end this week. A grown up kick in the gut moment. Based on what I have been reading all week long, that would sum up how many are feeling this week.

There is so much more to be said on the topics of depressions, battling demons, getting through the day, but I don’t really want to do that today. Today I want to remember the genius that made me laugh, cry, think and was a part of my life.

May you rest in peace Genie, you are free.

O Captain, my Captain.