Just Do One Thing
Let’s face it, when you have depression, every little thing can be exhausting. Every little task can be a mountain to climb and getting out of bed may seem entirely out of the question. It doesn’t ...
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4 Exercises that Generate a Healthy Mindset
If you are in the throes of a mental health crisis, focussing on the positives in life can be difficult, if not impossible. After all, when mental illness creeps in, it’s often accompanied by ...
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A Survivor’s Guide to Social Isolation
Dear Reader,
The details of my life experience are a bit too dark for most people. I survived Satanic practice in some bizarre hybrid cult as a teenager. Some hallucinogenic poisoning even caused ...
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5 Reasons Why Suicide Is a Dumb Idea
What a beautiful day. The temperature was perfect for laying on the beach, especially with that breeze coming off the ocean. The only shadows cast were those by the squawking seagulls.
I could hear ...
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How to Keep Going When Things Suck
It’s easy to get blindsided by the negative events and emotions around us. When bad things happen continuously, it’s easy to question our worth, our purpose and even our existence.
But fixating ...
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Leading Others Despite Your Depression
Does this sound familiar?
You don’t want to get out of bed, you don't want to be around anyone, and every move you make seems like a mistake. Then, to top it off, as you're pushing your covers ...
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Blame, Hope, and the Power of Personal Responsibility
When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Odds are, if you have depression, you see somebody you don’t like. You may even hate the person you see. There's also a good chance you see a scapegoat to ...
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Controlling Anxiety One Elevator at a Time
I was brave once. Absurdly, ludicrously brave. I had the kind of boldness that makes you live fearlessly and dangerously. I traveled to Europe by myself. I went skiing down all the hills I had no ...
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Is Laughter Still the Best Medicine?
It was during my second full-blown mental health crisis that I discovered just how useful comedy could be at combating depression, anxiety, or OCD. I refer to that catastrophe as 'Crisis 2: Mental ...
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Teach Your Brain to Defeat Negative Thoughts
Depression is a brutal problem for anyone who faces it but, much like other illnesses, there are things we can choose to do, that help us while we heal and continue the fight.
In this article, we ...
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5 Ways to Break the Cycle of Depression
Depression creates a horrible cycle of negativity. It doesn't matter whether a person is diagnosed as clinically depressed, or stuck in the midst of a terrible situation and experiencing the symptoms ...
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Why I Didn’t Jump from a Bridge
The year I turned 20 I asked God for birthday flowers. This doesn’t sound like an extremely uncommon request, coming from a Millennial woman. Except that I’m allergic to flowers and my birthday is in ...
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How to Support Your Teen with Depression
All of us have been there. The teen years are rife with mood swings and drama. An argument with a friend is the end of the world and two pieces of homework due at the same time is a disaster of ...
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8 Life Lessons from a Suicidal Fat Guy
I wrote these lessons for people struggling with severe depression and suicidal thoughts, but the advice is just as useful to anyone going through a tough time or just trying to accomplish their ...
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The Sad Runner Community
Join a private community of Depression Fighters all encouraging each other through their battle.
You're not alone, you don't have to fight depression that way.
Join our community ...
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How to Make Meetings Suck Less
Nothing seems to aggravate my mental health quite like meetings. I hate meetings with a passion. Around the organizations I'm part of, I'm rarely seen at any meeting and even with ones I'm scheduled ...
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3 Ways to Engineer a Positive Attitude
Having a positive attitude despite seemingly endless negativity is a challenge. From crippling anxiety to severe depression, it’s easy to make a laundry list of things I don’t like, or even hate, ...
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Where do you want to go?
This entire year I’ve struggled to determine what part of my life is clinical depression and what part is situational. Bluntly, what part of my sadness is my jacked up brain and what part is my ...
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The Pursuit of Positivity
I started Sad Runner with the commitment that, though I would share raw details of my depression, I would not let the site become a negative place.
Many Depression Blogs share what it's like, and ...
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Help for Family and Friends of a Suicidal Person
If someone you love attempted suicide or admits to struggling with the temptation to end their life you've found the right page. I've put this post together for you.
Most people don't know how to ...
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Instagram just added a new feature to help fight depression
350,000,000 people deal with depression, and it's the leading cause of disability worldwide. Depression is clearly a global problem facing everyone. That's why Instagram recently added a feature that ...
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New MRI Data Proves Depression is More Than a Bad Mood
"Adam, what we [experts] know about the brain, we could fit in a shot glass." I'll never forget the words a very well known therapist once told me as I sat in his office trying to understand my ...
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A Letter to a Suicidal Friend
People don’t understand suicidal thoughts. I mean, how could they? Most people don’t understand depression. How can we expect them to understand suicide?
When you have severe depression, suicidal ...
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My First Interview on Mental Illness
I don’t filter too much of my life. The readers of Sad Runner get the good the bad and the ugly. Many remark how raw and open I am on this site.
So it may surprise you that the one area that has ...
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What Michael Jordan Taught Me About Fighting Depression
I was born in Chicago the year before the Bulls drafted Michael Jordan. For most of my adolescence, I never knew the NBA to have a different king. As a young boy in the 90's, especially from Chicago, ...
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How to Comfort Someone with Depression
Figuring out how to comfort someone with depression isn't easy. Each person's illness is unique, and the circumstances surrounding their situation are just as varied as their depression is. I'll be ...
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Neil Hughes: How to Overcome the Traps of Anxiety
Awhile back, comedian, author, and physicist (that’s right, physicist) Neil Hughes reached out to me on Twitter. He came across some things I wrote about anxiety and thought his recent TED Talk might ...
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What is a Sad Runner?
I love the name of this website. I don’t know how many websites I’ve built over the last twelve years, but Sad Runner is one of my favorite names.
Most people think the site's name is about me. ...
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44 Sleep Tips for People with Depression
Sleep has always been a challenge for my wife and I. For the majority of her life; Kristen’s struggled with insomnia. When I greet her each morning, I don’t ask her how she slept. I stopped doing that ...
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Kristen Bell: I feel NO Shame About my Anxiety and Depression
I’m a big Kristen Bell fan though probably not for the reasons most come to adore her. Sure, as a talented actress, she’s been in many movies you know and love. And, while those are reasons to ...
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How to make it through your next episode
Battling depression often feels more like defeat than victory. I’m going through yet another difficult season, and yet again my depression steadily consumes my life. Those closest to me remark that ...
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The Adventures of The Incredibly Depressed Hulk
Living with a depressed person sucks. I feel sorry for my wife. She’s awesome and patient and unwavering in her belief that things will get better. But the poor girl has to live with me, and that’s ...
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Photographer Intimately Explores What Anxiety is Like
My anxiety has grown to become just as destructive as my depression, but I still don’t feel like I have a solid grasp on it. I know my depression well, we’ve spent a long time together. But I’ve only ...
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The Beginner’s Guide to Living with Someone with Depression
Download this beautiful 49-page guide designed to help you learn how to make a positive impact on your partner with depression.
You can still live a good life together with someone with depression. ...
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Combating Depression with Daily Burn
I can’t remember the last time I went to the gym to workout. The last few years have been a blur of missed workouts and avoided social interaction.
I used to love going to the gym. The whole ...
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Fighting Depression Naturally with Exercise
Don’t expect a typical exercise article from Sad Runner. We’re not talking about six packs and getting beach body ready here. We’re talking about fighting depression naturally and using exercise as ...
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Josh Quigley: Peddling Past Suicide
Some may not know Josh’s story, but it defies the public’s perception of a ‘depressed person.’ Before his suicide attempt, Josh Quigley was crushing life as a successful entrepreneur. As the founder ...
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Don’t Call Me Broken
In my non-writer life, I’m a graphic, web, and software designer. I get to spend the majority of my time creating cool things that people use every day.
One of my partners on a current project is ...
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Sam Hutchinson’s Depression Can’t Keep Him Down
Here at Sad Runner, we want to celebrate those who manage to overcome their depression long enough to thrive. These men and women prove that there is sunlight on the other side of the clouds, and we ...
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A Thank You from Your Depressed Partner
Whether your wife has depression, you're living with someone with depression, or your close friend struggles with a mental illness, please know that, as a partner with us in this fight, we're grateful ...
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Depression Hacker’s Toolbox: Calm App
As Depression Hackers, we’re constantly on the look out for what helps depression. From traditional cognitive-behavioral therapy to natural remedies, we’re down to try whatever we can to alleviate our ...
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How to Help Someone with Depression
If you’re wondering how to help someone with depression, then you’ve come to the right place. Please keep reading because your friend or loved one is struggling with some pretty heavy stuff and you’re ...
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Dwayne Johnson’s Inspiring Message to Depression Sufferers
You don’t have to be into wrestling (or even action movies) to find inspiration from Dwayne Johnson and his story. He’s been quite candid about his past struggle with depression and talking about it ...
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Depression Statistics: This infographic proves you are not alone
Depression is a dirty liar. It will tell you that you’re the only one dealing with mental illness. Depression will make you feel like an outcast from within your own brain. It says that you’re weird, ...
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Wil Wheaton: Depression lies because Depression is a D
I’ve been a fan of Wil Wheaton since I watched Star Trek: The Next Generation in my Great Grandmother’s living room as a kid. However, following him as an adult has been even more entertaining. Sure, ...
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7-Day Devotional for Depression
Experience a unique week-long journey through the Bible as you discover what God can teach you through depression.
It is possible to live beyond your illness and this devotional will prove it.
Sign ...
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This Singer Overcame Depression, then She Crushed it on Stage
Okay, so I have a confession to make that will surprise a few of my friends.
I love crying through emotional talent show auditions on YouTube. Yeah, it’s weird. I’m not even a fan of crying. I ...
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Meditation for Depression, 7 Reasons to Give it a Try
Meditation for Depression is still a relatively new concept for me. However, the experience I’ve had over the last couple years changed my perspective on it completely.
The only experience I had ...
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29 Depression Quotes That Prove You Aren’t Alone
Depression Quotes remind me that others struggle daily just like me. Sometimes they present perspectives that I hadn't previously considered which further helps me understand my condition. Many times, ...
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Happy First Birthday Sad Runner
This week we celebrate Sad Runner’s First Birthday. This little piece of the Internet is officially one-year-old. It was fitting, I felt, that the day of the actual birthday I was on the couch tearing ...
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My Old School Suicidal Week
I couldn’t remember when I was here last, staring up at the ceiling, waiting, as the walls of the room closed in. My wife went to work hours ago and here I was, still in the same spot she left me. I ...
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Outrunning an Anxiety Attack
I was breathing deep but still short of breath. I had run the same road for years but all of a sudden the whole place seemed foreign to me. It felt like I was lost in a hostile territory though I was ...
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The Depression Hacker’s Toolbox: Day One Journal App
I’ve written before that journaling helped me manage my depression. During some of my darkest times, journaling my thoughts and feelings have helped light my way out of that tunnel of despair.
Over ...
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Managing my severe depression with a pen and paper
Depression leaves you feeling helpless and out of control. You often feel like you are floating aimlessly out in the middle of an ocean of despair. It doesn’t matter what direction you float; it’s ...
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Running Motivation: Seven Videos to Pump Your Week Up
When I was planning my first running streak, I knew I would need all the motivational aids I could get my hands on. It would take everything possible for me to accomplish the goal. There would be days ...
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20 Lessons I Learned While Running 20 Days in a Row
Today marks my twentieth day in a row of running, at least, one mile per day as part of the annual Runner's World Run Streak. It has quite literally been a journey of ups and downs. But, surprising to ...
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#RWRunStreak Day 3 Update
I'm only a handful of days into this journey, and I'm already reaping some of the benefits I was hoping I would. My runner's brain is starting to take over again. I thought, if I was lucky, I might ...
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I’m Going Streaking
This month, millions of viewers tuned in to watch the New York City Marathon. They eagerly watched as elite, and amateur athletes alike took to the course. If it was their first time tuning in, they ...
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The Rise of the Depression Hacker
Depression Hacking is something you’re going to hear a lot about on this site. Before I ever launched Sad Runner, I knew it would be a major focus area.
I’ve wanted to share this with you since I ...
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Finding Hope for Depression
Hope can be a hard thing to grasp, especially when you’re dealing with crippling anxiety and depression. The more you battle your illness, the more you’ll learn that hope is key to your survival. You ...
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Yoga for Depression [Videos]
We all know that exercise is important for depression. Anyone who has been told to get more exercise by their doctor can attest to that. They aren't wrong. Exercise is great when it comes to relieving ...
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An Ode to First Miles
I ran my first mile this morning. It was just as painful as you would expect. My back wouldn’t straighten up, my knees rattled, my feet felt heavy like cement shoes. The turnaround couldn’t come soon ...
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The Importance of a Thunder Buddy
https://youtu.be/G9PnNW56bp0?rel=0
(Warning: Language in video is NSFW)
It’s one of the famous scenes from the trailer and most people who like the movie, Ted, can sing the Thunder Song word for ...
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Journaling Through Depression
It happened today just as it has every day since I was a child. This time it hit me in the morning. The racing.
When does it stop? For years, my mind has been an endless carousel of visions and ...
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16 Pro Athletes Who Have Depression
The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 6.9% of Americans deal with depression each year. With depression so prevalent in our society, it shouldn't be surprising that even professional ...
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4 Positive Things a Prisoner Taught Me About Depression
Getting through depression can be tricky. You have to find motivation and encouragement from a variety of places. I’m studying Philippians in my quiet time right now. Paul’s attitude as a prisoner is ...
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Just Run Again
Lately, I cringe when someone asks me how my running is going. I try to avoid talking about running at all costs. (I really shouldn't have put "runner" in the name of this website.)
I shy away from ...
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Don’t Stop
The morning sunlight peers through the blinds. Barely awake, I roll overreaching blindly for my phone. There's no point looking. It doesn’t matter what time it is.
The messages that are waiting for ...
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Where I’ve Been and What’s Next
You may have noticed that it has been pretty quiet around here lately. It has been an intense few months for me, and there seems to be no sign of it tapering off.
It hasn't been all bad as I will ...
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I’m still here: 5 GOOD things friends should know about my depression
Often, there is a fear that surrounds people with depression and I've experienced it lately. As Sad Runner has started to grow many of my friends have reached out to me. More than a few have been ...
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The Thing Nobody Told Me About Being Suicidal
I wish when you got diagnosed with depression they gave you a manual that was called “Here’s how it’s gonna suck.” I wish I knew what I was in for.
Growing up the only thing I ever heard about ...
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Pillow Talk – Sleep’s Impact on Your Depression
The room was no longer as dark as it was an hour ago. My eyes had completely adjusted as I was wide awake by now. I didn’t even need to roll over to check the time. I knew I woke up at ...
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5 Reasons I’m Not Ashamed of my Depression (and why you shouldn’t be either)
Last night something happened that made me question this whole thing. It made me wonder if I should stop writing so intimately about my struggle with depression. It made me wonder if I should be ...
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Why I Started Sad Runner
For years I’ve felt a need to put my depression to good use. My pastor always talks about how God never wastes a hurt. It’s easier said than done but I have made it my mission to put that to the test ...
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Adam’s Anti-Depression Smoothie Recipe [infographic]
I've written before how a plant-based diet has changed my life. Of all the many fruits and vegetables I eat, none is more important to me than spinach. It's true, Popeye was on to something.
Most ...
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The App That Tricked My Family Into Exercising
So much has been written on the benefits of exercise when battling depression. At this point if you have a psychiatrist / doctor / psychologist who doesn’t recommend increasing exercise in order to ...
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Keep Moving Forward
I became a runner for only one reason. It scared the hell out of me. Since childhood, distance running terrified me. I don’t know why. Probably because I was fat, that’s almost always the ...
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Reflection: My First 2 Years Living Plant-Based
Today marks my 2 Year Veganversary. Two years ago today was my first day living an entirely plant-based life. I don’t particularly like to celebrate my birthday (or Christmas or really anything) but ...
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The Stoicism of Running Uphill
When you run enough, and the mileage really starts to stack up, you get a little stoic about the obstacles. The uphill runs don’t freak you out like they used to. It takes a lot more to intimidate ...
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Drifting
Early in my twenties, I learned that the times that I was awake, when others were sleeping, were all mine. I would get to the office way before anyone else so I could get all my work done before ...
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I’m sorry to anyone I ever had a meeting with ever
I hate how committing to a meeting means committing to a panic attack. Even if I go into it with positivity, I know that the majority of the time I will break down.
This is why I avoid meetings. ...
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Redefining Failure
There is a lot we can learn from how endurance athletes and bodybuilders approach failure that we can use toward fighting mental illness.
I’ve been a huge fan of the sport of bodybuilding for ...
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Fighting for a Run
It is hard to really explain the frustration I feel when my major depression causes me to bail on a run. I’m a runner. Without the actual running part, I’m just a guy in short shorts and expensive ...
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‘Depressions’ with Rob Krar
This video made me realize that I'm not the only one who has to fight his depression just to lace up his shoes. It also showed me that I can still train hard and pursue my goals despite getting ...
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Watching the Fog Roll In
"Oh no. No. No. No. No. No. I still have stuff to do." I pleaded to myself. I was growing more and more disheartened by the second.
I had just completed stop two and still had three more errands ...
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God Doesn’t Do Useless
You don’t live very long before you realize just what a disappointment life can be. Most days I find myself working so hard just to survive. I've spent a great deal of time reflecting and trying to ...
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Depression Changes the Rules
I sat there staring at my phone waiting to hit the send button. At the same time, I hoped there would be some show of strength, some force, that would keep me from sending it. No such luck. With one ...
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Suicide and Video Games
I’ve started to work my way back through Purpose Driven Life again hoping I'll find some spark or motivation, something to drive me through my day. At the very least I was hoping to find a reason to ...
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What NOT to Say to Someone with Depression
"Clinical depression" and "sad" are NOT the same thing. It's like reducing bulimia to the stomach flu: just because you're both throwing up doesn't mean you're suffering nearly the same way.
Get ...
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Buried in Dirt
Yesterday I received some not-so-wonderful news from my therapist. I won't go into it right now but it was at the same time both validating and discouraging.
After, I went with Kristen and Lucy for ...
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Depression is NOT a Liability
On Sad Runer, I want to be open and share the things that most people wouldn’t share about living with severe depression.
I’ve always been open about it. Even when most people didn’t get it, I was ...
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