My difficulties with mental illness, including depression, have spanned a turbulent 25 years and have cost me financial security, education opportunities, employment stability, a marriage, my friends, my dignity, and on occasion almost my life.
Over the years I’ve collected an array of art and writing therapy techniques that provided relief from my depressed moods and a semblance of hope that recovery is possible, even after such a long time scraping along rock bottom.
These activities acted as a catalyst to strive towards recovery, and the hope that it nurtures. This turn towards recovery and my long history with mental health issues eventually provided me with a greater purpose: trying to help to limit the same sort of damage happening to younger generations.
So, under the guidance of a qualified psychologist, Dr Travis Gee, this melting post of creativity-based therapies slowly came together to form the basis of Challenging the Black Dog: A Creative Outlet for Tackling Depression, a journal designed for young adults who are struggling with their own battle with depression.
The proven techniques can easily be used as a form of guided self-therapy for those unable (or unwilling) to access other medical intervention or in conjunction with other therapy resources, such as counseling or medication.
It’s another small step through the darkness towards #Hope… not just for me, but for others like me.
“Hope is like the sun, which casts the shadow of our burden behind us.” – Samuel Smiles
offbeatbrains.com
