Comments on: [cancer] Depression http://www.jlake.com/2009/12/15/cancer-depression/ Jay Lake's Official Web Site Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:58:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ellen kushner http://www.jlake.com/2009/12/15/cancer-depression/comment-page-1/#comment-7826 ellen kushner Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:07:22 +0000 http://www.jlake.com/?p=10465#comment-7826 "Luckily for me, everyone who loves me loves me just as much when I’m a mess." Isn't it the damnedest thing? Awes me every time! And I don't even have serious depression. I'm Moooody, though - it can be blood sugar, or hormones, or lack of sleep . . . even knowing the physical cause, oddly, doesn't make the emotion less 3D. Our Animal selves meet our Godlike selves and - write, I guess! Thanks for your blog, and your work. “Luckily for me, everyone who loves me loves me just as much when I’m a mess.”

Isn’t it the damnedest thing? Awes me every time! And I don’t even have serious depression. I’m Moooody, though – it can be blood sugar, or hormones, or lack of sleep . . . even knowing the physical cause, oddly, doesn’t make the emotion less 3D. Our Animal selves meet our Godlike selves and – write, I guess! Thanks for your blog, and your work.

]]> By: Gay Haldeman http://www.jlake.com/2009/12/15/cancer-depression/comment-page-1/#comment-7821 Gay Haldeman Wed, 16 Dec 2009 02:00:04 +0000 http://www.jlake.com/?p=10465#comment-7821 Been thinking about you, Jay. So sorry about the depression, but it comes with the territory. Do tell your doctor. A friend who had heart surgery suddenly became horribly depressed. One or two pills and he snapped out of it and didn't have it again. Wish I knew what the pills were. Wishing you all the best. Gay Been thinking about you, Jay. So sorry about the depression, but it comes with the territory. Do tell your doctor. A friend who had heart surgery suddenly became horribly depressed. One or two pills and he snapped out of it and didn’t have it again. Wish I knew what the pills were.

Wishing you all the best. Gay

]]> By: Jay http://www.jlake.com/2009/12/15/cancer-depression/comment-page-1/#comment-7818 Jay Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:58:26 +0000 http://www.jlake.com/?p=10465#comment-7818 Have to say chocolate chip, though I'll go for anything that doesn't involve raisins. (I love oatmeal cookies, but hard to find without raisins...) Dips and downs, yep. Might be fun to meet next week. :) Have to say chocolate chip, though I’ll go for anything that doesn’t involve raisins. (I love oatmeal cookies, but hard to find without raisins…)

Dips and downs, yep. Might be fun to meet next week. :)

]]> By: Meran http://www.jlake.com/2009/12/15/cancer-depression/comment-page-1/#comment-7817 Meran Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:46:26 +0000 http://www.jlake.com/?p=10465#comment-7817 (positive spite, I like that) ah, Depression, my most constant friend :) I'm reading Trial of Flowers, Jay, and can see that. It surprised me. I didn't realize you'd had such a personal relationship with Capn D! The thing about the dips (or downs) is that then there's an up ... Hard to trust that, but they come. Ride it well; I'm sure it feeds the Author within. I'm sure being back to the stupid stuff of work doesn't help much either ... If you want cookies, give me a day to make them; Shannon has my phone number. Maybe meeting someone new might help lift the cloud. (I'm short and very UNimposing :) ) what's your fave cookie? Mine's snickerdoodles. (positive spite, I like that)
ah, Depression, my most constant friend :)
I’m reading Trial of Flowers, Jay, and can see that. It surprised me. I didn’t realize you’d had such a personal relationship with Capn D!
The thing about the dips (or downs) is that then there’s an up … Hard to trust that, but they come. Ride it well; I’m sure it feeds the Author within. I’m sure being back to the stupid stuff of work doesn’t help much either …
If you want cookies, give me a day to make them; Shannon has my phone number. Maybe meeting someone new might help lift the cloud. (I’m short and very UNimposing :) )
what’s your fave cookie? Mine’s snickerdoodles.

]]> By: Brad R. Torgersen http://www.jlake.com/2009/12/15/cancer-depression/comment-page-1/#comment-7816 Brad R. Torgersen Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:53:46 +0000 http://www.jlake.com/?p=10465#comment-7816 I think you called it: when depressed, focus on small things, because the big stuff tends to be overwhelming. Treat every day that you're still here, like it's a victory. Because it is. If you were a church man -- of any sort -- I'd advise doing a little conversing with The Lord. That's usually what I do, especially when things seem so much beyond my control. But that's a personal choice, and I realize that for some people it's just not an option they can take seriously. Anyway, sounds like you have a good social support group to try and help you through. One thing about being depressed: we tend to want to be left alone, but alone is usually the last thing we need to be. Good luck, Jay. From one WOTF winner to another. I think you called it: when depressed, focus on small things, because the big stuff tends to be overwhelming. Treat every day that you’re still here, like it’s a victory. Because it is.

If you were a church man — of any sort — I’d advise doing a little conversing with The Lord. That’s usually what I do, especially when things seem so much beyond my control.

But that’s a personal choice, and I realize that for some people it’s just not an option they can take seriously.

Anyway, sounds like you have a good social support group to try and help you through. One thing about being depressed: we tend to want to be left alone, but alone is usually the last thing we need to be.

Good luck, Jay. From one WOTF winner to another.

]]> By: Mari Kurisato http://www.jlake.com/2009/12/15/cancer-depression/comment-page-1/#comment-7815 Mari Kurisato Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:32:53 +0000 http://www.jlake.com/?p=10465#comment-7815 *hugs* Would it help if I started posting nude pictures on my Twitter feed? They wouldn't be mine of course, but. In all seriousness, Jay, do what makes you happy, even when it doesn't seem to be working. Cheering you on, Bellrauthien. *hugs*

Would it help if I started posting nude pictures on my Twitter feed?

They wouldn’t be mine of course, but.

In all seriousness, Jay, do what makes you happy, even when it doesn’t seem to be working. Cheering you on, Bellrauthien.

]]> By: Steve Buchheit http://www.jlake.com/2009/12/15/cancer-depression/comment-page-1/#comment-7814 Steve Buchheit Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:05:17 +0000 http://www.jlake.com/?p=10465#comment-7814 Don't let it win, Jay. That's easier said than done. Having battled with my own depression I feel some of your pain. It sucks. It's just one more pile on top of the rest of the stack you have to deal with. It's even worse when a part of you realizes that you're in depression, that you're not having rational thoughts, or it's causing you to act out in ways you don't want to, but that you don't have the power/energy to stop it. Being a voyeur into your own life and bad behavior isn't a fun way to exist. But you've beaten it before. You are its master, it isn't the master of you. The hero always gets his butt kicked in the beginning of the fight before pulling it out in the end (or at least that's the way it is in the movies). You have the tool kit to turn it around and I have no doubt you will. Where you're currently at would sap the strength and test the will of anybody. Little d depression is a legit response to that. I have a feeling you won't let it get to big D depression. And (as I'm sure you know) help and understanding are always there when you ask for it. Don’t let it win, Jay. That’s easier said than done. Having battled with my own depression I feel some of your pain. It sucks. It’s just one more pile on top of the rest of the stack you have to deal with. It’s even worse when a part of you realizes that you’re in depression, that you’re not having rational thoughts, or it’s causing you to act out in ways you don’t want to, but that you don’t have the power/energy to stop it. Being a voyeur into your own life and bad behavior isn’t a fun way to exist.

But you’ve beaten it before. You are its master, it isn’t the master of you. The hero always gets his butt kicked in the beginning of the fight before pulling it out in the end (or at least that’s the way it is in the movies). You have the tool kit to turn it around and I have no doubt you will. Where you’re currently at would sap the strength and test the will of anybody. Little d depression is a legit response to that. I have a feeling you won’t let it get to big D depression.

And (as I’m sure you know) help and understanding are always there when you ask for it.

]]> By: Brenda Cooper http://www.jlake.com/2009/12/15/cancer-depression/comment-page-1/#comment-7813 Brenda Cooper Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:48:33 +0000 http://www.jlake.com/?p=10465#comment-7813 Hugs Jay. Wish I could be there to help from time to time, glad you have Shelley and the Witch. I always think of you as awesome. I also think of you as there ten years down the road when we're both still writers.... :) I picture you and me and our mutual friends like Ken and John and David all still there, older, the experienced writers in the bar the newbies are a little nervous about meeting. I can't pretend to understand depression since it's not been a very big fight for me, but you seem to have beaten in in your normal life. I suspect that gives you the tools to beat it now pretty easily. Go, you! Hugs Jay. Wish I could be there to help from time to time, glad you have Shelley and the Witch. I always think of you as awesome. I also think of you as there ten years down the road when we’re both still writers…. :) I picture you and me and our mutual friends like Ken and John and David all still there, older, the experienced writers in the bar the newbies are a little nervous about meeting.
I can’t pretend to understand depression since it’s not been a very big fight for me, but you seem to have beaten in in your normal life. I suspect that gives you the tools to beat it now pretty easily. Go, you!

]]> By: John Ginsberg-Stevens http://www.jlake.com/2009/12/15/cancer-depression/comment-page-1/#comment-7812 John Ginsberg-Stevens Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:22:51 +0000 http://www.jlake.com/?p=10465#comment-7812 Yep, that's how you make cancer sad: by living your life to spite it, by going on regardless of what IT wants. The power of positive spite. If only that was the cure! Yep, that’s how you make cancer sad: by living your life to spite it, by going on regardless of what IT wants. The power of positive spite. If only that was the cure!

]]> By: thelittlefluffycat http://www.jlake.com/2009/12/15/cancer-depression/comment-page-1/#comment-7810 thelittlefluffycat Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:04:04 +0000 http://www.jlake.com/?p=10465#comment-7810 {{{JL}}} {{{JL}}}

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