suicidal ideation

pause

This past week I’ve had pockets of happy in the sea of darkness that is in my head. It seems like I have unintentionally paused my life– I’m literally just trying to make it to the next day. I’m waiting, not living. The ketamine infusions keep me going, but it was becoming quickly obvious thatContinue reading “pause”

snow & sadness

1. Solo hike. 2. Snow flurries. 3. So many tears. 4. Warm chai tea. 5. Quiet. 6. Solitude. ❄️ This week has been really heavy. But I’m still here. & I’m continuing to fight to stay alive. I promise.

shell of myself

I am burned out & depleted I desperately want to be in the moment & happy and carefree. Have sex or go hiking. Learn a new song or go to a bookstore. Actually be able to lose myself in a story. But I can’t find the capacity to carry on a conversation or go doContinue reading “shell of myself”

My depression has been LOUD the past 7 days. I’ve been mentally white-knuckling it, trying to fight it while being so fucking exhausted. My passive suicidal ideation has been debilitating all week. The truth is, even during my favorite time of year, I don’t always feel strongly about being alive. On the particularly bad days,Continue reading “suicidal ideation”

self-worth

When did I start thinking so little of myself? Tonight I had therapy with my partners. While they talked about their feelings, I was repeating this over and over to MYSELF: “you’re not worth it.” I’ve convinced myself on a very deep level that I’m not worth any effort. Medical bills & debt? I’m notContinue reading “self-worth”

test results

I received my neuro-psych results today– the two tests I took were the MMPI-2 and the MCMI IV. Jim and Woody took the ABCL to gauge symptoms and difficulties that they noticed. My primary diagnosis: Persistent Depressive Disorder with Persistent Major Depressive Episodes. This is also called Dysthymia. It’s basically long-term/chronic depression. The symptoms ofContinue reading “test results”

stress & sadness

Depression is bad again today. I’m still feeling uncomfortable inside my body— it feels like it doesn’t remember what normal is. Headache, stomach ache, swelling, muscle soreness. I’ve been sneaking away for a few minutes for the majority of the day so I can break down and cry. I’m anxious about this week. I’m alreadyContinue reading “stress & sadness”

TMS

Yesterday I had my last TMS appointment. I was so proud of myself— I had 37 treatments in just a couple months and it feels like a huge accomplishment. I did a little dance in the lobby. I’ve been reflecting on my TMS experience and I think the staff needs to be upfront with howContinue reading “TMS”

surviving distance learning

This morning I couldn’t get out of bed until after 10:00 and that was by Woody physically dragging me out. Distance learning with Wren (6) is going to break me. She is such a special and spirited kid and I love her fiercely but she fights me on everything. I’m trying to extend compassion toContinue reading “surviving distance learning”

clenched fists

The clinic opened back up today and Danielle met me for an infusion. I have so much love for her— she came in despite having a death in the family. Turns out having a ketamine infusion during this election can be intense— while I was dissociating, I was feeling ALL of the feelings about theContinue reading “clenched fists”

insomnia + suicidal ideation

Last night my daughter woke up around 1:00am and I couldn’t fall back asleep for a couple hours thanks to my insomnia. I haven’t done any research on insomnia + suicidal ideation but there appears to be a strong connection for me and it was very scary last night. I was overwhelmed with frustration thatContinue reading “insomnia + suicidal ideation”

pretending

Happy Halloween 🎃 I had to do a lot of pretending to get through the day so that my kids could enjoy the holiday. My friend Patrick stopped by with a chai and gift for me and a bag of goodies for the kids. One of my besties, Bath-Sheba came over with her little oneContinue reading “pretending”

self-worth

I had TMS today, it was sort of miserable because I have this headache that never goes away. I’m so tired of feeling physically ill from my Klonopin. The way we originally organized the taper was going to last until mid November and this morning I decided to just get it done in 5 days.Continue reading “self-worth”

running on empty

I have nothing left in my tank— I can barely show any affection to my family and I’m bone tired. I actually fell asleep writing this blog. This week there have been moments when I feel inspired, like I’m able to do something helpful around the house, play with the kids, run an extra errand.Continue reading “running on empty”

Ughhhhh

My fatigue has fatigue, my stomach is cramping, my headache is persistent, my short-term memory is awful and I keep losing track of what I’m doing. My functionality would have better this morning (thanks to the ketamine infusion last night), but my body is rebelling because of the medication withdrawal. I see so many friendsContinue reading “Ughhhhh”

this Halloween

What’s terrifying this Halloween is how much I’m weighed down by the feeling that dying seems much easier than fighting ongoing battle of depression.. That self-harm seems to be the only thing I can think of that can distract me from how much my body hates me right now— between the existing side effects ofContinue reading “this Halloween”

depression is a liar.

I need to re-read this multiple times a day. “The truth is that you can be struggling and still be loved.” Sometimes I look at Jim and Woody when they’re distracted and contemplate why they are still by my side, fiercely and actively taking care of me. I look at my littles and wonder whyContinue reading “depression is a liar.”

Partner of the Depressed

(Guest journal entry by Woody, one of my partners that lives with me.) The hardest thing about loving someone who is suffering from depression is the memories what they are like when they are healthy. When we see those of us closest to us hurting, we want to try everything we can think of toContinue reading “Partner of the Depressed”

and crash

I’m still on my anniversary trip. Jim just went for a bike ride which I encouraged because I know it makes him happy. As soon as he left I broke down in tears. How is it that I am basically holding it together by default and unable to identify that I’m crashing? Am I justContinue reading “and crash”

depression + marriage

This morning Jim took me to get my TMS and ketamine infusion and afterwards we drove up north to a cabin near Pelican Lake to celebrate 7 years of being married. This trip is going to be a lot different from our other ones, but I know it will be just as good because heContinue reading “depression + marriage”