Obviously, I don't have a problem with sharing about my alcoholism, both the active (drinking) side and the recovery (sober) side. I have accepted that alcoholism is a part of my journey, and I am happy to be on the sober side of it. Life's a lot easier when I am sober.
I have experienced depression since I was a child, but it has taken a very long time for me to accept depression as part of my life like I do alcoholism. I sent out a cover letter for a position today, and, because of the nature of the job for which I am applying and because of my current situation, I let my prospective employer know I am in recovery from alcoholism. I did not mention in my cover letter about being in recovery from depression. My thought was that that might make me less desirable (right here is where you're supposed to laugh).
I grew up in the 60s and 70s, when mental illness was rarely talked about, and when not as much was known about it. There was lots of stuff back then that wasn't talked about much. It wasn't too long ago that people with mental illness were thought to be possessed by demons, which figuratively isn't too far from the truth. Some people still believe that today.
So, I wasn't too open to the idea of living with depression. I just wanted to be rid of it. Today, I don't believe that I will be rid of it in this lifetime. This doesn't mean I have to suffer from it; it just means that I have to adjust my habits so that I manage my depression, instead of my depression managing me.
What helped me accept and manage alcoholism was recognizing that alcoholism is still going on in me whether I'm drinking or not. It takes on a different form when I'm sober; or, more accurately, the other-than-drinking symptoms of alcoholism are more apparent to me when I'm sober. Today I can recognize the symptoms of my dis-ease, and separate my dis-ease from me. My hope is that I can learn to do that with depression as well - to recognize the symptoms as symptoms of dis-ease, and not as signs that I am a deficient or defective person.
This is enough for one post; I will continue in 'Destigmatizing Part 2'.
Namasté,
Ken
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