Crocheting Through Depression

[merseaone]

merseaone, I completely understand. I work full time and don't have a lot of free time during the week. Still, I crochet almost every evening. Crocheting especially helps me get through the weekends. My 2 grown boys, and all of my family live far away from me. That only adds to the depression, and loneliness, that I sometimes feel. Sometimes, just the feel of the yarn and hook in my hand get me through the sad moments.

Hugs,
Shelley

I have a son who lives in Paris, France and one who is now moving from my city to Richmond, va for a new job so I kinda know what you are going through with that. One thing you can do is start making things to donate to charities. I know some churches that have crochet/knit groups that make and donate to the charities. Sometimes helping others helps you feel better!

[DonnaPBradshaw]

Ladies,
it's easy to see how we all live in a world of hurt and have to find ways to deal with pain, illness and our darkest depressions. I've written in this post before but have to write again... I too agree on meds and therapy! I was with a therapist for 6 years and 2.5 months before the program was cancelled due to gov't cuts, so I have lost not just a therapist but a best friend and extremely understanding and helpful woman. I have to start over with another one and am not sure I can at the moment... after so long with my therapist, I was at home, trusting and able to share the darkest parts of myself and was feeling the healing. If you are with a good therapist, try to keep him/her and work hard even if it hurts, for you must go through the pain of what is inside you before the mental injury can be healed. It is like a cancer... the therapy is surgery and the meds are the healing process. Sometimes it takes time to find the right mix of meds but hang in there, you will get there and start feeling more human again. That and my wonderful Psychiatrist is all that is helping me hang on at the moment, along with my fiber crafting and writing.

Donna with son Brian - I am an atheist so i do not pray, but i will be thinking of you and your son. If he tries, he can reset his sleeping clock by using an alarm. Go to bed 20 minutes later and rise 20 minutes earlier every three days (five, if he has trouble adjusting to three) and keep repeating until he has reset his sleeping back to a regular time setting. I know this works because a friend of mine had the exact problem and this was what his doctor had him do. It takes a while to do but it is possible, but HE has to work on it. If he doesn't, there is another problem going on and you should do your best to wrestle him to a Psychiatrist as soon as possible. He needs help! I am hoping this is of some little help.

As to suicide; I first attempted at age 10, my homelife was so bad. I tried every three or four years until age 17 when I met the man who would be my husband (he turned out to be an abuser too, after we wed and it took almost 15 years to get me and our children away from him) and I attempted suicide several times as an adult but always something stopped me - getting caught and hospitalized or a thought of someone who needed me, like my kids, who would go to their abusive father. Back then i didn't have fiber crafts for soothing, i had been told as a young child that i was too stupid to learn it. In a desperate need for something to do with my fingers, I picked up a crochet hook from the second hand store and some yarn and read instructions on how to crochet and started at age 50. I have been crocheting for 6 years now and it is a wonderful help to me in times of depression, when I can get myself to pick up the hook and start. Once I've started, the magic flows and I begin to feel better after a bit. I highly recommend you keep doing fiber crafts, whether it is crochet, loom knit, or knit, sewing or what ever else there is along with medication and therapy. And I got my first tattoo, a semi-colon. Look up the Semi Colon Project. It has this meaning - in a sentence, a semicolon (simply put) is where a writer could have chosen to end a sentence but didn't; they chose to continue it. In life, a semicolon is where a person could have chosen to end their life but didn't; they chose to continue it. My tat reminds me daily I choose to go on. If you don't want a tattoo, put up a picture of a large semicolon in your house where you can see it and remind yourself you choose to go on. It is a wonderful help for us suicide survivors and suicide survivor supporters.

Thank you for listening to my rant. Crochet and live on!
~ Patt

Dear Patt,
Just barely saw your post! what a story you have to tell! thanks for sharing it with us. Your suggestion for my son sounds like it just might work if he will try it. He's very stubborn but I'll tell him about it and hopefully he'll work on it. I do believe he's depressed, how could he not be? His life sucks! he just sleeps, eats, and watches tv when he's awake and it drives me crazy to see his life so unproductive! this is not how he was raised! His father is very active and we have not abused him in anyway. I just shake my head and ask why is this happening to him! I am a christian so obviously we are praying for him everyday. In our church we have bishop's and Stake President's who are concerned about him. In meetings where my husband is part of they pray for him and we also put his name on the prayer roll in the Temple's that we attend. I wish he could and would go to regular doctors and not just use the internet to find his answers. As you can see we are in a bad way with him. Thanks for your concern and suggestions for him.

[Jean Marie]

Dear Patt,
Just barely saw your post! what a story you have to tell! thanks for sharing it with us. Your suggestion for my son sounds like it just might work if he will try it. He's very stubborn but I'll tell him about it and hopefully he'll work on it. I do believe he's depressed, how could he not be? His life sucks! he just sleeps, eats, and watches tv when he's awake and it drives me crazy to see his life so unproductive! this is not how he was raised! His father is very active and we have not abused him in anyway. I just shake my head and ask why is this happening to him! I am a christian so obviously we are praying for him everyday. In our church we have bishop's and Stake President's who are concerned about him. In meetings where my husband is part of they pray for him and we also put his name on the prayer roll in the Temple's that we attend. I wish he could and would go to regular doctors and not just use the internet to find his answers. As you can see we are in a bad way with him. Thanks for your concern and suggestions for him.

Your son might be bi-polar.

[Patt]

Hey DONNA!!! Not bi-polar. If he were that, there would be massive swings in his behavior. He would be going from happy and fine one minute to so sad and low that he would want to die the next, or from enraged and smashing things to sitting and weeping over his actions. (I can guess this because I know the symptoms because I have not only studied but I AM Bi-Polar. It's really rough if you're not medicated!) Your son sounds like Major Depression. He can barely get out of bed or even move except for the barest necessities of life. Donna, I would advise you stop doing anything for him, even cooking for him. Don't do his laundry, don't clean his room, don't fix him snacks. It will force him out of his room to find out why he's lost his lifeline and then you can put your foot down and insist he go see a Psychiatrist or no more help. By supporting him this way you may be accidentally enabling him to keep doing it. So stop helping him in any way and see what happens next. Don't let anyone else help him either. He's got to be forced out of his confinement so you can either get him institutionalized or to a doctor. I wish you the best. Prayers are good but it's action that's needed here. May he come out of his room and get help soon. Love you, Patt.

[DonnaPBradshaw]

Oh Patt! what a life you have had! I agree that something has to happen to change his life. We don't clean his room or wash his clothes he does this at night. I do not go out of my way to fix him meals. He has to eat what is left or he fixes his own meals, it might just be sandwiches if we have gone out to eat. We have put a block on his computer so he can't get involved in Pornography or stuff similar. Thanks for giving me ideas! I never know what might help our situation.

[Pixieglitter]

Oh Patt! what a life you have had! I agree that something has to happen to change his life. We don't clean his room or wash his clothes he does this at night. I do not go out of my way to fix him meals. He has to eat what is left or he fixes his own meals, it might just be sandwiches if we have gone out to eat. We have put a block on his computer so he can't get involved in Pornography or stuff similar. Thanks for giving me ideas! I never know what might help our situation.

Donna, it really sounds like he has major depression. I've suffered from it my whole life, and have been on medication for the past 20 years. The medication helped some, but I was still depressed, until a few years ago. I was diagnosed with Bipolar II, which is different from the Bipolar that most people are familiar with. With Bipolar II, there really isn't any mania, no super highs or mood swings. Bipolar II causes a deeper depression that is actually worse than the major depression that most people are familiar with. It might be something for him to look into. It can be difficult to diagnose.

Because of my Bipolar II, I take 3 different medications in a higher dose than when I was just treated for regular depression. And the the cocktail of meds I'm on work perfectly for me!

I'm the one who figured out that I had Bipolar II. I read an article written by Catherine Zeta Jones, the actress. She has Bipolar II and everything she said was totally me, exactly. When I mentioned it to my psychiatrist and my counselor, they started asking me specific questions and completely agreed with me that I did indeed have Bipolar II.

I really hope your son would get help for himself. I understand how difficult it is when you're in such a deep depression. But he so deserves to feel better and have a good life.

Hugs,

Shelley

[Kathy Divis]

I was diagnosed not too long ago with alzheimers. I am only 55 yo. My doctor said I should keep doing the things you love. I crochet because I love it....and now I know it is keeping my brain healthy. I take my pills...then get out my yarn...follow my patterns I feel better. My brain gets a workout and enjoy it!!!

[conmaree]

i have depression sometimes more than other times, i live in a small southeastern county in ohio. we have 5 Churches in our area that get together every other thursday and make prayer shawls at one of our Churches. we started the end of 2008 and i am my Church clerk, so the announcement came to me to read and no one responded so i had to go back to crocheting because i was into beading and plastic canvas. i had been taught at a young age to crochet and you have to use the talents you are given. i was raised that way by my grandmother and mother. in 2009, i made over 100 knotted fleece and crocheted shawls. we also make baby blankets to start babies out the right way. the shawls and blankets are blessed at whichever Church the meeting is. last winter we started making scarves and hanging them around our town square and putting them in some places for anyone who needed a scarf could get them. prayer shawls are hand to hand and heart to heart, but we do get donations of yarn from people and some monatary donations. that helps with postage. the greatest gift i get are hugs. hugs are very comforting to me. hugs hugs hugs great for a depressed person. hugs to all

[Susan2014]

gigipat, late seeing and such saddness. I cat respond to all as too many. my 1 eye is patched as eye problems/ I was smiling when read your gran kids think you can make anything, You are blessed and hold that thought closle. God Bless you.

susan2014

[Susan2014]

To all of those on this Post "I know my Life Sucks!" ?????? Hope you all can find peace some where's. Ask for help Im told, Who a Phychologist & talk & he/she listens & meds? No at 75yrs Im Angry at myself for not insisting help with husbands support (not) he thinks Im fine?? 46 yrs later he's 91+ yrs & just said WHY now. I go mad & fell back in august cracked wrist/arm, $$$ is allways been an issue. Its my fault as I should be in charge of me? Been the way I am 75 yrs. Now I know why I am friendless. On-Line as I crochet till I fall asleep at night. 2 cats joined our Family in 2012 & God Blessed me as Im Kick Butt some what now. Venting & boring you, have no one to listen to, yes I journel & let a man at a Cafe we have breakfast at READ IT some. He was amazed how I wrote it so. Wants me to will it to him ?? haha paid for our Meal, Clyde Thank you you did not look like a Minister ? I will keep checking back as to many great people here & I call friends. God Bless You and Dont Give Up. Need Yarn PM me Hugs Susan2014