I struggle with chronic depression. Yesterday's testimony made me understand that I have been selfishly consumed by my own sadness. I cried through parts of the testimony realizing that we are all living under a shadow. We are all struggling. We are all both affected and infected.
The disease is the stupidity of the truth skeptics led b…
I struggle with chronic depression. Yesterday's testimony made me understand that I have been selfishly consumed by my own sadness. I cried through parts of the testimony realizing that we are all living under a shadow. We are all struggling. We are all both affected and infected.
The disease is the stupidity of the truth skeptics led by masterminds who feed them lucrative juicy stories. Masterminds who, as one news commentator remarked, "sit smugly, vaccinated in their air-conditioned studios, spitting" on the the January 6th truth-seekers, calling them "actors." The disease is power money. The majority of our nation's problems arise from the business of lying to a single tribe, hiding behind the false mask of freedom of speech. For after all, aren’t the antifaxers, the COVID nonbelievers, the climate deniers, the white supremacists, the religious extremists, and the trumpers all one and the same tribe? The same disease?
For some inexplicable reason, I have found myself opening The Brothers Karamazov as a distraction to my depression and politics, bracing for a long slog. Instead of a distraction, I'm finding answers. At least answers on how to live my life. I’m calling it the Biden Solution. Forge through with eternal optimism. Use the superpower of democracy: the vote. Never deny truth. Because like the poem says, truth IS beauty - and the only way out of the mess this world and our country is in. Don't give in to the denier tribe. We are our only hope.
Biden’s optimism was forged in a crucible of poverty, loss and trauma. Part of his strength comes from his deep attachment to faith and family and democratic principles, imho. He is an example I look to often to replenish my own struggle through this morass. We the people; all of us this time. Glad you are here. Keep slogging.
Wow! Everyone! I did not anticipate this kind of response to my comment. When I sound off at home, even the dogs leave the room. I am overwhelmed and thank you all. My sincere and heartfelt best wishes.
You are in no way "too much," Cheryl. Thank you for your eloquent insights. And chronic depression is a completely understandable reaction to the five-year toxic trauma we have all endured. The Biden plan for healing the country is a good one -- keep being sane, compassionate, responsible, truthful grownups. Keep advocating and implementing solutions to the real and urgent problems, and ensure voters know who's really making their lives better. Millions of us include activism and get-out-the-vote organizing as part of our personal recovery plan. Your comment is right on. More please!
Don't be intimidated or silenced. Anyone who isn't horrified by the endless travesties, particularly over the last five years, hasn't been paying attention.
Please, come here to comment. You are not "too much" for us here, as many of us are either in a similar boat, or close to someone who is. I'm glad you're finding answers in a diversion; that is the best of both worlds indeed.
Cheryl -- I love what you say. Forge through with optimism! Never deny truth! I try to do this re dealing with Covid-19, since as you say, we really are our only hope!!!! Somewhere, someone said "we are the ones we have been waiting for," (or something like that!). Be well and know that you're not struggling alone...
Thank you for sharing. Please know others are struggling with what Trump and friends are doing. There is yet more truth to be revealed in these hearings.
I understand exactly how you feel and the desire to "organize" this crazy world we find ourselves living. However, no, they are not all from the same tribe.
I know people that aren't Republican, or white supremists, or Covid deniers that are anti-vaxers. They have been practicing alternative medicine and have been sceptical of western medicine for decades. They believe they can ride this out and will not consider that it isn't just about them, it is not an individual decision, it is not about their rights. They see no conflict with their compassion for others. Alrhogh I am frustrated I do not hate anti-vaxers. They should not be lumped in with Trump supporters who are racists and anti-govt and who were just lying in wait for a president that agrees with them so they could overthrow democracy.
There were thousands of them there on 1/6. The KKK on steroids. They lost against an army maybe 1/5 their size. 550+ dumbasses so far arrested and hate groups we never heard involved. Upholding democracy is harder than we thought and in order to uphold it, we have to practice it, and therefore we are in for a long ride.
I also think the discussion on fact vs fiction and lies vs truth is much deeper than most people want to admit. Where do you draw the line? People will always believe in what they want to, despite the evidence, lack of evidence, facts, data, or education. Good and bad people fill in the blanks as they see fit. So no, not all the same tribe. But you are right, there is a Trump tribe, and they got to the top for a brief period. "God" willing, it stays that way because we live in a democracy.
Hi Martha, I anticipated that there would be an argument about "tribes" and I honestly appreciate your comment so that I can clarify. By "tribe" I do not mean that this is a group who ALL share the same opinions, political affiliation, religion, ethnicity, regions, or who are all led by Trump. I am talking about those folks who have been persuaded by "false prophets" if you will. Persuaded by media personalities who make a business and profit by twisting the truth to suit their monetary ends. And yes, many antivaxers are knowingly or unknowingly followers of Joseph Mercola, an osteopath, who for years has spun misinformation concerning vaccines. The decisions these followers make based on Mercola's falsehoods have put themselves, their children, and their contacts at risk for life-threatening or debilitating disease. Mercola's lies and his followers have adversely affected us all.
As a "Certified Holistic Health Coach" I was a part of this movement. I wasn't exactly an antivaxxer - but I was damn close. My mom has had *many* more years living with stage 4 cancer due to holistic physicians (MDs!) ~ but oh, my horror watching my friends and colleagues grasp onto this Mercola/Northrup quackery with both hands!! A few of us gathered together and tried to infuse some logic into our "love & light" friends, but to no avail. My answer was unfriend those who fell into the abyss. I'm still sad... but they are right there preaching the same nonsense they believed when I left them last year.
You cannot fight emotions with logic or common sense.
Hi Nancy - Full disclosure. I am onboard with Holistic Health and am thrilled to see medicine become more and more "integrated." My chronic depression was diagnosed 40 years ago while in my twenties. I was prescribed Prozac which made me suicidal. Since then, I take no medication for what at times is a soul-sucking low. Adjusting my diet, long walks, and nature are my remedies. That said, I am happy for those who benefit from antidepressants. We each have to find our own way, but we need to beware of the devil which you have named well - Quackery.
An additional note if you do decide to add a dog or two - please be respectful of nature, wild animals, and other walkers by paying attention to "No pets", "Leashed pets only", and "Pick up the Poop" notices. For those of us - who may love dogs but don't live with one - who enjoy walking in natural areas, it is very distressing to encounter dog lovers walking with their dogs (leashed or unleashed) in nature preserves where they are prohibited, or with unleashed dogs in areas where they are allowed if on a leash. I've had to school myself to keep my anger under control and just call the park rangers, rather than confront the dog lovers in my county who think the signs and restrictions don't apply to them. If the walk is ruined, it's ruined - so rather than making it even worse, I get out. I don't blame the dogs. I blame the inconsiderate dog lovers who love only themselves and their dogs.
Nancy, I too have been a facilitator of somewhat woo-woo practices,but I'm shocked to see how my "higher consciousness and awareness" colleagues are dealing with Covid. In these cases, they are not politically right-wing -- far from it. Incalcuable harm is done by leaders of holistic practices who promote ignoring/refusing all allopathic treatment and vaccines. The day I heard the founder of an important 'consciousness' movement say that "it's just like a slight flu" I stopped listening to anything else he had to say.
I do not. There is absolutely nothing we can say to those who are unable/unwilling to change their mind or see logic/facts. They have dug their heels in the sand and refuse to budge. It's the same mentality as cults. (They may actually die, all the while believing they just didn't believe hard enough, eat enough of the right foods or that it really wasn't Covid).
If you love them, then love them as best you can without letting their nonsense break you. ❤️
Nancy, Thank-you for the Northrup reminder. She was my mother's doctor for a short while - until my sister and I read her book. Your are right. The horror!
Well said Cheryl. My disappointment in family and friends who continue to willfully deny the truth forced me to view them as I would those whose behaviors are triggered by mental illness albeit without the compassion reserved for those who are truly mentally ill. It is the only way I can coexist with the otherwise decent human beings in my life who choose to be in the “denier tribe.” I will not give in to them nor will I give up hoping for a cure.
Thank you for writing Cheryl. Your thoughts are so moving but I hope you will not call yourself selfish in any way. I recognize that self criticism but it's just not accurate or helpful. Your thoughtful writing shows that you are a thoughtful person, a gift. I have never read TKB and will check it out as I too could use a good read like that. Thanks for mentioning your experience with it. And thank your sharing your thoughts. Everyone's voice here is important and crucial!
I struggle with chronic depression. Yesterday's testimony made me understand that I have been selfishly consumed by my own sadness. I cried through parts of the testimony realizing that we are all living under a shadow. We are all struggling. We are all both affected and infected.
The disease is the stupidity of the truth skeptics led by masterminds who feed them lucrative juicy stories. Masterminds who, as one news commentator remarked, "sit smugly, vaccinated in their air-conditioned studios, spitting" on the the January 6th truth-seekers, calling them "actors." The disease is power money. The majority of our nation's problems arise from the business of lying to a single tribe, hiding behind the false mask of freedom of speech. For after all, aren’t the antifaxers, the COVID nonbelievers, the climate deniers, the white supremacists, the religious extremists, and the trumpers all one and the same tribe? The same disease?
For some inexplicable reason, I have found myself opening The Brothers Karamazov as a distraction to my depression and politics, bracing for a long slog. Instead of a distraction, I'm finding answers. At least answers on how to live my life. I’m calling it the Biden Solution. Forge through with eternal optimism. Use the superpower of democracy: the vote. Never deny truth. Because like the poem says, truth IS beauty - and the only way out of the mess this world and our country is in. Don't give in to the denier tribe. We are our only hope.
Biden’s optimism was forged in a crucible of poverty, loss and trauma. Part of his strength comes from his deep attachment to faith and family and democratic principles, imho. He is an example I look to often to replenish my own struggle through this morass. We the people; all of us this time. Glad you are here. Keep slogging.
He’s the REAL Deal…a much-needed salve, especially after the past 5+ years of so much fake and hate.
Me too, Sheila. The "Biden Solution" as Cheryl said.
Wow! Everyone! I did not anticipate this kind of response to my comment. When I sound off at home, even the dogs leave the room. I am overwhelmed and thank you all. My sincere and heartfelt best wishes.
Thanks for sharing Cheryl. I hear you, and I wager you're heard by thousands fellow Americans.
Thank-you for your kind words. I don't often comment, because at least to friends and family I seem to be "too much." Your words mean a lot to me.
You are in no way "too much," Cheryl. Thank you for your eloquent insights. And chronic depression is a completely understandable reaction to the five-year toxic trauma we have all endured. The Biden plan for healing the country is a good one -- keep being sane, compassionate, responsible, truthful grownups. Keep advocating and implementing solutions to the real and urgent problems, and ensure voters know who's really making their lives better. Millions of us include activism and get-out-the-vote organizing as part of our personal recovery plan. Your comment is right on. More please!
Don't be intimidated or silenced. Anyone who isn't horrified by the endless travesties, particularly over the last five years, hasn't been paying attention.
Cheryl, You are Not Alone, believe me!!😊
With truth and sincerity!
Thanks, Cheryl. Here is a quote by Aldous Huxley: "Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored."
Thx for that!!!
Please, come here to comment. You are not "too much" for us here, as many of us are either in a similar boat, or close to someone who is. I'm glad you're finding answers in a diversion; that is the best of both worlds indeed.
Cheryl -- I love what you say. Forge through with optimism! Never deny truth! I try to do this re dealing with Covid-19, since as you say, we really are our only hope!!!! Somewhere, someone said "we are the ones we have been waiting for," (or something like that!). Be well and know that you're not struggling alone...
I believe the sane in the nation are suffering from PTSD - Post Trump Stress Disorder.
Thank you for sharing. Please know others are struggling with what Trump and friends are doing. There is yet more truth to be revealed in these hearings.
I understand exactly how you feel and the desire to "organize" this crazy world we find ourselves living. However, no, they are not all from the same tribe.
I know people that aren't Republican, or white supremists, or Covid deniers that are anti-vaxers. They have been practicing alternative medicine and have been sceptical of western medicine for decades. They believe they can ride this out and will not consider that it isn't just about them, it is not an individual decision, it is not about their rights. They see no conflict with their compassion for others. Alrhogh I am frustrated I do not hate anti-vaxers. They should not be lumped in with Trump supporters who are racists and anti-govt and who were just lying in wait for a president that agrees with them so they could overthrow democracy.
There were thousands of them there on 1/6. The KKK on steroids. They lost against an army maybe 1/5 their size. 550+ dumbasses so far arrested and hate groups we never heard involved. Upholding democracy is harder than we thought and in order to uphold it, we have to practice it, and therefore we are in for a long ride.
I also think the discussion on fact vs fiction and lies vs truth is much deeper than most people want to admit. Where do you draw the line? People will always believe in what they want to, despite the evidence, lack of evidence, facts, data, or education. Good and bad people fill in the blanks as they see fit. So no, not all the same tribe. But you are right, there is a Trump tribe, and they got to the top for a brief period. "God" willing, it stays that way because we live in a democracy.
Hi Martha, I anticipated that there would be an argument about "tribes" and I honestly appreciate your comment so that I can clarify. By "tribe" I do not mean that this is a group who ALL share the same opinions, political affiliation, religion, ethnicity, regions, or who are all led by Trump. I am talking about those folks who have been persuaded by "false prophets" if you will. Persuaded by media personalities who make a business and profit by twisting the truth to suit their monetary ends. And yes, many antivaxers are knowingly or unknowingly followers of Joseph Mercola, an osteopath, who for years has spun misinformation concerning vaccines. The decisions these followers make based on Mercola's falsehoods have put themselves, their children, and their contacts at risk for life-threatening or debilitating disease. Mercola's lies and his followers have adversely affected us all.
As a "Certified Holistic Health Coach" I was a part of this movement. I wasn't exactly an antivaxxer - but I was damn close. My mom has had *many* more years living with stage 4 cancer due to holistic physicians (MDs!) ~ but oh, my horror watching my friends and colleagues grasp onto this Mercola/Northrup quackery with both hands!! A few of us gathered together and tried to infuse some logic into our "love & light" friends, but to no avail. My answer was unfriend those who fell into the abyss. I'm still sad... but they are right there preaching the same nonsense they believed when I left them last year.
You cannot fight emotions with logic or common sense.
Hi Nancy - Full disclosure. I am onboard with Holistic Health and am thrilled to see medicine become more and more "integrated." My chronic depression was diagnosed 40 years ago while in my twenties. I was prescribed Prozac which made me suicidal. Since then, I take no medication for what at times is a soul-sucking low. Adjusting my diet, long walks, and nature are my remedies. That said, I am happy for those who benefit from antidepressants. We each have to find our own way, but we need to beware of the devil which you have named well - Quackery.
Adding dogs to your walks & nature likely helps a lot too!
An additional note if you do decide to add a dog or two - please be respectful of nature, wild animals, and other walkers by paying attention to "No pets", "Leashed pets only", and "Pick up the Poop" notices. For those of us - who may love dogs but don't live with one - who enjoy walking in natural areas, it is very distressing to encounter dog lovers walking with their dogs (leashed or unleashed) in nature preserves where they are prohibited, or with unleashed dogs in areas where they are allowed if on a leash. I've had to school myself to keep my anger under control and just call the park rangers, rather than confront the dog lovers in my county who think the signs and restrictions don't apply to them. If the walk is ruined, it's ruined - so rather than making it even worse, I get out. I don't blame the dogs. I blame the inconsiderate dog lovers who love only themselves and their dogs.
Exactly. 🤗
Nancy, I too have been a facilitator of somewhat woo-woo practices,but I'm shocked to see how my "higher consciousness and awareness" colleagues are dealing with Covid. In these cases, they are not politically right-wing -- far from it. Incalcuable harm is done by leaders of holistic practices who promote ignoring/refusing all allopathic treatment and vaccines. The day I heard the founder of an important 'consciousness' movement say that "it's just like a slight flu" I stopped listening to anything else he had to say.
Do you have any replies to these folks?
I do not. There is absolutely nothing we can say to those who are unable/unwilling to change their mind or see logic/facts. They have dug their heels in the sand and refuse to budge. It's the same mentality as cults. (They may actually die, all the while believing they just didn't believe hard enough, eat enough of the right foods or that it really wasn't Covid).
If you love them, then love them as best you can without letting their nonsense break you. ❤️
Thanks for your insights Nancy.
Wow. I’ve never known an alternative health practitioner say those thing! Run fast and far.
Nancy, Thank-you for the Northrup reminder. She was my mother's doctor for a short while - until my sister and I read her book. Your are right. The horror!
Got it. Thank you for clarifying!
Cheryl, you’ve got the herd here with you! Thank you for being so raw with your truth and inspiring us.
Well said Cheryl. My disappointment in family and friends who continue to willfully deny the truth forced me to view them as I would those whose behaviors are triggered by mental illness albeit without the compassion reserved for those who are truly mentally ill. It is the only way I can coexist with the otherwise decent human beings in my life who choose to be in the “denier tribe.” I will not give in to them nor will I give up hoping for a cure.
Thank you for writing Cheryl. Your thoughts are so moving but I hope you will not call yourself selfish in any way. I recognize that self criticism but it's just not accurate or helpful. Your thoughtful writing shows that you are a thoughtful person, a gift. I have never read TKB and will check it out as I too could use a good read like that. Thanks for mentioning your experience with it. And thank your sharing your thoughts. Everyone's voice here is important and crucial!
And your composition has lifted me up. Thanks.
Beautifully said. Thank you.
Sending a virtual hug to you for this thoughtful post. 😘🤗
Beryl, you are 100% correct and I am elated after reading your post. Hope. Thank you!