Power of Support in Healing and Recovery
Tom’s story of dealing with mental pain after recovering from the physical pain struck a cord with me.
When I was in my early twenties and suffering through depression, I tried to deal with it alone, and as smart as I thought I was, I just couldn’t “talk myself out of it.” And believe me - I tried and tried.
Although this article is quite short, it speaks to the importance of having a support network of people who understand what you are going through, so that your recovery process is optimized. Get away from people who responds to your honesty about depression with statements like, “But you’ve got no good reason to feel depressed”!
I’ve also read a scientific review article that talks about the importance of having a strong social network to reduce our susceptibility to stress-induced infections. Social networks and feeling connected - is important for our health on so many levels.
However, this is not as easy as it sounds. For those of us who understand depression, we know we tend to self-isolate and withdraw. The last thing we feel like doing is “opening up” and connecting with people. The trick, then, is finding a group where we can feel safe enough, where we can identify with the people there, who understand what we’ve gone through and are feeling.
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