Recently, I was hiking with some friends and as we walk through a portion of the trail where pure white snow draped the trees that lined the path, I was in awe of being engulfed in the beauty that surrounded me. It made me reflect on my life and I felt a sense of gratitude that I was able to experience the pleasure of being in nature. There was a time in my life when I believed that a day like that could not happen.
My last manic episode was in 2010. Once it was over, I had spent all my money, lost my job, and several friends. The depressive episode that followed was so debilitating that I spent most of my days in bed with terrible physical pain and horrible negative thoughts bombarded my brain. I was exhausted and I was hardly eating anything. It was the third time that this had happened to me and I could not imagine ever having any kind of existence that was not clouded in misery.
What I have learned since then is that even though you cannot think of a solution to your problems it does not mean that a solution does not exist. I received a great deal of support from my family which kept me going but there were also things that happened that I could not have predicted that helped me get my life back together again.
One day, I was talking to a healthcare professional and he disclosed to me that he had bipolar disorder. I had become so stuck that learning that this person also had bipolar disorder and he had a positive life made me feel better. It gave me a little added strength to carry on.
Around the same time, I ran into a facilitator of a peer support group I used to attend regularly at an organization called OBAD. She encouraged me to come back to the group. Attending the group empowered me to rebuild my life slowly and methodically. In 2012, I became one of the facilitators of the group.
Life is unpredictable. If we continue to do our best and we are open to accepting the support of others there is always hope that things can get better. Now that I have been through these trying times when I experience a beautiful moment it is a little sweeter because I know what it feels like to believe that such a day is an impossibility.
Well said I like it
Thank you.
Thank you Allan!
It’s been awhile since I’ve experienced that mild euphoria in nature that I use to experience on a daily basis while walking in nature. I’ve been isolating indoors because my life situation currently is extremely stressful and I feel stuck. I do know though, that if I made the effort to get outdoors, my stress would let up a bit and my mood would improve.
Thank you for the reminder! As always, your words are comforting and I remember that I am not alone with our challenges.
Your welcome Annette. I am so glad that my blogs have been meaningful for you.
Thanks for the reminder how nature can be a powerful ally in healing! Well written!
Thank you for the kind words Elaine.