New Direction and Goals

So as I already said on the sidebar, I am thinking about taking this blog in a different direction. I'm going to keep the previous posts up, and I will not entirely abandon the academic angle, either. I just really need to stop trying to be what I am not. I am not a doctor, an academic (I'm a college student, but not a very studious one), or even a fully functioning individual at this point.

This does not mean I have nothing of value to say, however! I just have nothing truly to say from those viewpoints. So then, what am I?

• I am a depressed person; I have Major Depression Disorder, as a matter of fact.
• I am a medically retired Navy vet due to Crohn's Disease.
• I am in an awesome marriage with an even more amazing husband.
• I am a writer.

The depression and Crohn's sucks, but that doesn't mean I have to suffer quietly. This blog will be an active stand against succumbing to the effects of these illnesses, and hopefully a place for you to join me on the long journey to recovery. And it is a journey, not a road--not a long, gray slab of asphalt for us to stare at and hope it ends soon--this is an opportunity to become better than we ever have been before, or even better than we could have ever been without this crazy challenge to face.

So here's what's going to happen: I'm going to start on Monday. July 21, 2014, I will begin writing a sort of biography to catch you all up on what brought me to this point. Most likely it will be a 2-part post ending on Wednesday. On Friday, I will start the weekly tradition of checking in: looking at what I accomplished throughout the week, how I've felt emotionally and physically, goals I can set up for the next week, and so on. I encourage all of you to check in as well! Post your goals, express concerns, share your triumphs, and give others a kind word or two.

The other two days (hopefully always Monday and Wednesday), I'll write on different topics: what depression is like, resources, tips, different therapies I've tried and what I thought of them, etc., and I will try my best to cite peer-reviewed sources as appropriate.

I admit, I definitely got the inspiration to start this due to the BBC's show Sherlock. John Watson's blog is far more entertaining than anything I'll write here, I'm sure, but this is more therapeutic for me. This is also in conjunction to the recent introduction of Behavioral Activation therapy into my regimen. I'm supposed to be writing something daily, so I figure this would be a good excuse as any to share my story.

Here's to better health, yeah?
~ML