When You Relapse

There is no word in the English language I despise more than “relapse,” because by the time I use it, I have suffered months of agonizing depression that involves the typical symptoms you check off at a psychiatrist’s office: overwhelming guilt, fantasizing about death, no energy, lots of tears, trouble sleeping, eating too much (or too little), trouble concentrating, difficulty doing just about anything but obsessing about how bad you feel and crying enough to keep Kleenex in business. Here are a few strategies I use when I start to relapse … when my symptoms don’t abate for weeks on end and when I’m scared I will never again wake up excited for a new day. Continue reading …