By Jenny Filush-Glaze
Grief Relief

Besides this column and the work that I do every day as a grief counselor, I also write a daily blog that focuses on positivity and evidencing healing and positive change.  I have been writing this blog every morning for over two years and have met a lot of amazing and interesting people, but what I love the most about it is the raw, open and honest relationships and bonds that are forged amongst strangers- all looking for something motivating and inspiring to keep them focused, especially during difficult times in their lives.

Last week, I wrote about Major Depression and the epidemic of the rising rates of completed suicide.  I also addressed it in my blog- twice- and even shared a story of a woman who had lost her vibrant college aged son to a silent killer that no one saw coming.  Major Depression is real and nowhere was that more evidenced to me than in a private message that was sent to my page on social media.  It was long and it was heartfelt and by the time I finished reading it, I was determined to make a copy and use it to help other people understand the ongoing grief that people struggle with on a daily basis when Depression overrides everything they appear to know and convinces them that life would be better off without them.

She let me know right off the bat that she had started to hate and despise my blog. Why? Because she felt that all of that positivity was nothing but a “pack of lies that only losers would believe” she said. 

She talked about having to wear a fake smile and share excitement over things that everyone else was jumping up and down for joy about and yet it just made her want to retreat further into her shell. 

She acknowledged that even her own family, her husband and child had “no clue” as to what she is going through and that it is exhausting every day to just “live.”  Within the confines of her own mind, she questions everything and wonders if this is what her life is going to be like forever — “Is this it?” she kept asking me. “And if this is it, why do I want to keep putting myself through these things?” 

Of course I immediately responded and validated her grief and encouraged further discussion about Major Depression and whether or not she is pursuing help, but my responses went unanswered even though I could tell that she had read them.

This is what Depression is like for countless amounts of people and I am thankful she chose to reach out and share those feelings because many people choose to suffer in silence and alone.

If you are interested in seeking a daily dose of positivity feel free to follow my page on Facebook: ZenJen’s Mindful Living.