Depression

Depression

de·pres·sion

1. feelings of severe despondency and dejection.

2. a mental condition characterized by feelings of severe despondency and dejection, typically also with feelings of inadequacy and guilt, often accompanied by lack of energyand disturbance of appetite and sleep.

Depression is from the Stroke of Emotions Series I created in 2017.

In this image I sit alone. The empty box symbolizes my lack of connection with the world.

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A lone crow looks down, perhaps an indication that bad things are trying to find me.

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A tiny apple blossom lays behind me, a sign of hope if I could only see it.

Feeling lost and alone, feeling like no one else is able to understand what you are going through, and feeling that you have no control over your life any more, can all lead to a state of depression.

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It's normal to feel these things. Everyone goes through it, although not many people talk about it.

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Your family and friends will try to be cheerleaders for you. They'll try to do things for you and say things to you that they think will help.

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I didn't want help for a while. It took everything I had just to be strong for John and get myself through the day.

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After I spent my days at the hospital, I returned home to look after our pets and all the responsibilities that come with home ownership.

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Then I sat in a daze, unable to move or think. It was summertime, so I had the luxury of being able to sit outside on our backyard deck. My dogs seemed to understand somehow, and they sat beside me on the swing, or lay down at my feet. They didn't leave my side, and were a great comfort to me.

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But there comes a time that you have to pull yourself out of this state. And if you can't do it yourself, you need to pick up the phone and ask for help.

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About Stroke of Emotions:
In an effort to deal with my worry and feelings of helplessness after my husband had a major stroke in 2017, I turned to my hobby of photography. I took self portraits and created composited images using my photographic library to help define and illustrate my feelings. From devastation through rejuvenation, it is a story of a healing journey that I hope will help others going through a difficult time.

The complete story of Stroke of Emotions is available in book format. To view and/or purchase online click on this link.