From LC Pony Merch to Lexia Fira the Cranky Crafter

THIS IS MY FIRST DEPRESSION CHRONICLES POST!

So this is going to be the start point. In which I will divulge info about me to base the rest of the posts from.

HI! I am Lexia Fira, Formerly LC Pony Merch/LC Pony Nerd. Real Name: Lauren.
Most of this can be found In the about me link.

What said page DOES NOT inform you of is this:
Besides being a 36 year old stay at home mother who sells her soaps and cosplay props from home, is that I suffer from long term anxiety and depression. In my lifetime I have been admitted twice to a mental hospital - psychiatric ward or whatever the term per building or floor is.
I have suffered through with or without friends or family being there many a breakdown and crisis, done damage to myself and many relationships.

                                     

HOWEVER I HAVE learned how to deal with it, have a circle of trusted friends and family and have a crisis plan in place. I HAVE learned how to keep going and to trust - TRULY TRUST - the people in said trusted friends circle. I have learned that age, race, beliefs, gender etc DO NOT define or matter to depression as it affects US ALL. I have also learned that instead of trying to tell people what to do or have people THINK that telling someone what to do in depression that the best thing they can do (tried and true method) is be there for the person and LISTEN.

Of all the things I was, am and will be in this life, most of it has been shadowed in depression and difficulty mentally and emotionally. This is my creed and uplifting statement that has helped be get through. (It has changed from what it was to this now to fit the situation but it has helped still)

"I AM STILL HERE. I am alive, I have my daughter and I have my husband. I DO NOT want to stop. I may want to (insert whatever has gotten me down or started crisis) and that is ok.
It is ok to stop and take time."

So....these next posts will be tidbits, lessons learned and sharing of wisdom or what have you through my life and depression and how in my experience you can learn from this and/or use it to help others.
Or at the very least, it is something to read.

Of all the times I had been down, in despair and thought nothing would work it was so easy to forget, I AM IN CONTROL of how I feel, and even in the midst of the spiral of emotions, once I can find that bit of clarity or sanity to grab onto I CAN do this.

And yes, for many people in the midst of the crisis, or emotional mess it is VERY difficult to find that and grab on. I am not sure how to describe it beyond learning and being able to see past it in a way in my own mind. As if one is in the dark spiral and all one had to do was look up and see, there, there it was reaching out and I just had to grab it and go up.
Again, this is from years, 20 plus years of dealing with this. It takes time per person. But THERE IS HOPE.

Thank you for making it through this jumbled mess of a post with me, and hope to see you at the next one!