Battling the black dog of depression - emotional health

Lately I have been taking some time working on my emotional health. In particular dealing with the feelings of depression and anxiety. Ever since my near death five years ago I have had a lot of sleep problems and anxiety late at night. Walking, diet changes, putting a higher priority on my health have all brought me many benefits. Loss of sleep and different losses and stresses have had their effect on my mood and outlook. In the same way I have sought medical opinion about my health concerns, I have sought psychological opinions on my mental health. The one thing I did not want to do was to say, "Well that is the way I am and there is nothing I can do about it." I may be aging, but I did not want to live accepting a down mood as a way of life.

Walking and aerobic activity we know alters mood and fights depression. But sometimes it is not enough. The good news is there is plenty we can do about it. For a minute forget about labels. They just get in the way of finding help to feel better and enjoy life. I could care less if you think I am "mentally ill" or "neurotic" or somehow less able to live an "successful life." At sometime in our life we will have problems with the brain and nervous system like at sometime we will have problems with our joints, our heart, our respiratory system, our muscles, organs, skin, you get the idea. What I want in my life is information and treatments that improve the quality of my life. The good news is there are plenty of options to treat depression and anxiety to improve the quality of sleep and mood to get more out of life.

I have gained in these last weeks help to sleep better and control my anxiety at night. My mood has brighten and I have renewed my hope about the future. I want to thank the many people who have worked hard on my behalf. There are many skilled and trained people who stand ready to assist you if you are battling the"black dog" as Churchill termed depression. I also want to thank the many people who have allowed me to see into their journeys to improve their battles with depression and anxiety. Group therapy really helps see the many facets of depression and anxiety. Each of us are different but together we improve the quality of restoring our emotional well being and health.

As you walk with the fat man you may be battling many issues with your health. The good news is we are not alone. Keep walking!