Importance of focusing on Positive with Depression & Anxiety.

Thank you, my friend. I pray every day for the strength to deal with this. I know there must be a reason for this challenge. My beloved grandchildren do keep me going.

Thank you for your kind words. Love, Rebecca

@brandysparks There are days when I slide into the same feelings you described here. And it can indeed be a struggle to find anything positive. Just yesterday I was reminded of tools to use to stop the slide backwards: Journaling, or playing in my fabric stash putting projects together [even if only in my mind for now], drawing, crocheting for charity. Sometimes a nap with my cat curled up on my lap.

Step outta the way of the rock sliding back down towards you.
Ginger

Music as you know is a universal language that we all can understand and feel. In 1969 I was apart of a Russian tour for 7 weeks. We perform for packed concerts from Leningrad , Moscow to Tashkent to Siberia. We would talk with university students afterwards with our instruments playing and talking with notes. There was few Russian students that could speak English and very few of us that knew Russian. We did fine without our voices.

This is so good to read, thanks 😊
Seven weeks in Russia, that probably was a great experience. Good to have good memories.
Voices are overrated, sometimes. If you can put your emotions in the music you make you can touch people on a different level. It's similar to connecting with nature sounds, some make you happy, others make you sad, while others can spark the imagination or make you curious. The interaction is precious, I think.

You all sound young to me. Next month I will be 88 - and after the most dreadful year of my life I am still here. I lost my husband of 59 years and then had to go through a total hip replacement alone. Although I have two sons, one lives far away and tries to support me from afar but the other seems to enjoy stabbing me in the heart. I am in the second week of another round of physical therapy for my hip. This will probably be the last one. Next appointment with the surgeon is January. The other day I went to visit an assisted living center to see what they are like. Even at my advanced age I am still able to care for myself, with the help of a monthly cleaning service. I really do feel that there is nothing to look forward to. I have lots of negative feelings and very few positive ones. I have never been good at meeting people and making friends. I believe it is called being socially awkward. So I am really alone. There is not much joy in living, and frankly, at my age, how much more living can I expect? I go through the motions but just drag from day to day.

We can all learn from you so please keep writing on how you are doing. We care about you and want the best for you.

Thank you for this. I have five more weeks of physical therapy for my hip. I am pretty sure this will be the last. I have no other plans for my life at this time. I think it is because I am getting old, even though I do not feel my age. Perhaps that is one of the things that keeps me going. It's the old adage - just one foot in front of the other. Keep going and don't give up.

Hello thisismarilynnb. I am so sorry for all that you are dealing with. I am 75, and I am trying to wean myself from Effexor (antidepressant) that I have taken for 22 years for fibromyalgia. It stopped working 3 years ago, and that is when this horrible depression and anxiety started. I am hoping that if I can get off this drug, my outlook will improve.

It is hard to find things to look forward to when we are growing old and have health issues. But your comment about "putting one foot in front of the other" is the best advice and really our only choice. Do take care and come back and post about your progress. I will be looking for you. Love, Rebecca

Each day counts and becomes another time for possibilities that can be helpful or hurtful. I’m hoping you stay on the helpful side of healing and positive feelings. We will listen to your journey and learn. Each of us are incredibly unique but we all are on the path to challenges that you are very aware of. You can make a difference to the younger crowd and we will listen.

As I read the different posts, one thing that I read over and over again is how many drugs people are taking. I only take a drug for high blood pressure. I have been thinking about this a lot. Many years ago my husband and I visited Aruba on a cruise. One of our excursions was touring an aloe vera plant. I was very impressed with it. Since that time I have taken an aloe vero pill/gel every single day. Aloe vero is a healing plant. I wonder if it helped me to get through all these years without developing the severe illnesses that I have been reading about. Originally I ordered them from the plant in Aruba. Then they started to be available in this country. I still take one to this day. I believe in it and maybe that belief helps as well. Please read about this and make up your own minds. It certainly cannot hurt.