Transformation As Depression

Barbara: I mentioned on Monday that depression has been a big topic of conversation with me lately. It seems many people around me are struggling with it—especially right now. And, yes, I’m sure we can blame the season in some part (certainly in Canada), but I also know that in all the cases I’m familiar with, there has also been a major life shift or change that has precipitated that low-grade, tenacious, and numbing persistence that’s known as “depression”.

I’m going to try not to make any pat, “uplifting” statements today. In fact, as I said to Deb, I’ve learned not to be a cheerleader through someone else’s pain. Not because I don’t deeply yearn to be of help or to shine light, but because I find that we all have to go through what we have to go through. And my shoulder or my reassuring smile—while useful and sweet maybe in the moment—is not going to stop or hold off someone else’s time of (excruciating) change.

Because here’s my theory—and it may sound banal or trite, but the thing is, in order for us to measure the merit of a theory, we kinda need to look at all the evidence and decide if we think it fits, or if we think it’s a load of bull (kindly phrased conflicting opinions are welcome!):

I think depression is the surest sign that we are in a time of transition. In every example I can think of that comes from my own personal experience with depression (and I do mean “depression”, not “clinical depression” or any other medical or chemical imbalance), or that I’ve been privy to through other people’s periods of depression, there has also been a meaningful change going on.

And change, for all its good and wonder and importance, is not easy. Especially if set off by a wracking, heartbreaking personal tragedy: the end of a marriage, the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, etc. But depression usually sets in after grief or any other major outburst of emotion has had its way with us. I think depression is more the detritus of upheaval. To me, it signals that we have begun to work at accepting something. And that’s exhausting. Because acceptance is work, never mind that we’re also busy now mourning what we know we have to leave behind—which is of course, fundamentally, our “old self”.

How depressing is that? To leave behind that comfy old self we know so well?

The other depressing fact? Change often takes its sweet-ass time to do its thing...

So, what do you think? In your experience, in hindsight, has depression also marked important periods of change for you?

Deb: Since I read this, Barb, I have been searching for the quote one of my FB friends posted today about change and acceptance and I could not find it, but it was brilliant. Basically it said that if we always accept the fact that what is happening to us in the natural order of our lives is what is supposed to happen and as a result we do not fight it, that it will lead to a healthier way of looking at the changes in our lives, however painful. It said that the pain comes from resisting the pain. Does that make sense? I am paraphrasing but it totally resonated with me. Really moved me actually. 

My Little Meno Pause

Barbara: Today I don’t have an in-depth issue I need to get off my chest, I don’t have an idea or a rant or a plea or a story for you. I just have my own little real-life experience and I want to share it with you. Mostly in the hopes that you will share your stories with me, or that in sharing our stories we’ll help our younger generation see that it ain’t so weird or scary or verboten to talk about this.

If you’re wondering why I use the adjective “little” in the same vicinity as “meno” (because how can a “meno”-anything be “little”??? Menopause means another life-changer, another milestone, another major turning point, right?). Well, I’ll tell you why. Right now at this moment, it feels little. It feels subtle and gentle and mostly like an unassuming thing behind me, politely tapping my shoulder to let me know it might be barreling by in a moment.

Okay, so here’s the scoop. I am 48 and I just missed my first period. Or rather it was 10 days late. Now I am totally accustomed to a short, robust cycle: every 25 days, announced with potent PMS (a foggy, vulnerable fatigue in my case), in and out with reliable predictability. To wait 10 days for it was a bit disconcerting. The 2 periods before that—while right on schedule—were milder forms of my usual. I feel … okay. By that I mean, I feel fine, but not as light and easygoing as I am used to. But that could be any number of things. That said, I am actually going through a really nice time right now, with my beloved daughters both home, with some very exciting work prospects developing steam, and with my sense of worth feeling pretty stable. For all intents and purposes, I should be feeling GREAT. But … but … to be honest, there’s this strange pervasive … melancholy? No … restlessness. Or … uncertainty. I don’t know if there’s a connection here, but I thought in fairness I should throw that truth into the pot and mix it around. I’m not scheduled for my regular doctor’s checkup for a couple of weeks. So what do I do in the meantime? I turn to you guys, of course!!

I have 2 massive “women and their bodies” type books sitting on my bedside table. But who has time right now to read a 600 page TOME? I just want a short and sweet discussion of what your own experiences have been like when you approached this stage of your lives (or when someone you love did). Is this a slow change? Or will it happen so fast I won’t know what hit me? Please, any words of wisdom, wile or comedy would be greatly appreciated!

Deb: Oh where to begin? You know my mind raced when I got this email. What do I tell her? How do I support her? And then I thought, you know it is soooooooooooooo individual, so different for each woman. But I will say this—my menopause was not good and not easy, but it was very fast—two intense years. Yes, I was sure I was losing my mind. Still. Yes, I was sure I was losing my mind.  And so I owned it and I worked it. But now, even wayyyyyy before now, it was a distant memory. I am available, my darling friend, for private coaching. Not only available, but sitting and awaiting your call. So let’s do it. In the meantime: “it’s not your fault, it’s not your fault, it’s not your fault, it’s not your....”

Are You Afraid Of Change?

Barbara: First off, happy Labour Day to all of you who get to enjoy today’s holiday. I, for one, will be reveling with my best bud, Deb. The very best kind of “labour”.

But I do have a topic of discussion I want to throw out there for any of you who might want to play …. So here goes. Like the title asks: are you afraid of change?

The reason I’ve been mulling this question is because I’m back home now after an intense week of moving my daughter into her college apartment (she’s not in residence so there were a ton of unexpected chores to the whole “moving in” thing. Like scrubbing corners and hooking up internet and building beds and waiting for subletters to vacate.).

So I’m back home now and finding myself down in the doldrums. She is happy and I am happy for her and I am excited for the next phase of her life and my own, but mourning periods are sometimes both inevitable and necessary. Either way, they still suck.

And as I was wallowing in the doldrums of my exhausted blues, I wondered––as much as I’m looking forward to it––if I’m not just a little afraid of the next phase of my life. Not because I worry about it in any substantial way, but because this life is going to be inherently different. And then I began to think of all the friends I know and acquaintances I’ve spoken with over the years who are clinging to a way of life or an aspect of their lives that they frankly hate because they are more afraid of change. “The devil you know” and all that.

I was curious so I googled “stress list” and found the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale. Now obviously there are a lot of truly horrible events on this list, like losing a loved one or getting a divorce. But I also want to point out that a lot of the events on here are positive events like “vacation” and “getting married” and “outstanding personal achievement” (?!). And if you look at the top of the chart you’ll see that the 43 events are rated on a scale of “life change units”. So obviously Holmes and Rahe recognized that “change” is the inherent, measurable part of stress.

So if change stresses us out, are we less liable to instigate it––even if it would benefit us enormously––just to, you know, keep the peace???

Deb: Barb this really got me thinking. Really. I was resistant to change all my life. Could oft be heard to say “I will never...” or “I will do it this way forever”. Since I hit my fifties and particularly in the last few years I have come to embrace change, and in some cases to welcome it. Not, as you said of a tragic nature, but change that brings the unexpected, the surprise the “wow, I didn’t know I liked that” kind of change. And, frankly, I adore it. I say, bring it on!!! Adventure, travel, a new experience, I am there. Our boy’s life is changing and growing and given that I am three years into that metamorphosis, I have come to embrace it. I think I started with faking trying to embrace change, and then evolved to embracing change, with reservations and finally SPLAT––CHANGE, Exploring. Discovering. That is what I want for this period of my life. And trust me, these are things I have really wrestled with this week. So they are fresh and some of them hurt. But they are clear. For me, change is growth. Wow, look at me, all growed up.