The Struggle Is Real

The view from here

Where to begin...

For many months now I have been ruminating upon beginning to write a blog. 

Issues arise in everyday life, usually via social media as a result of minimal contact with the so-called 'outside world', that I somehow don't feel comfortable with posting about on Twitter or Facebook. 

I suppose I am aware that unless I am 'muted' or 'unfollowed', anything I post turns up on people's timelines. I know from my own experience that such pronouncements are not always welcome.

Thus I embark upon writing in this blog.

I predict that its subject matter will be wide-ranging and won't be restricted to any particular theme. 

Essentially, if I feel moved to write about something       then I will write. I'll post on social media whenever I     publish a finished entry and then people have the choice to click on and read it or to scroll on past it. 

The blog's title refers to my experience of major depression but the blog will by no means solely contain posts about these experiences. I do feel, more and more however, that there is a huge 'social' element to experiencing depression. 

The condition is definitely within me of course and it can cause me to feel very ill. 

Speaking for myself, my feelings of worth are not entirely dependent on how others perceive and treat me, how they perceive and treat other people with depression, or on their ideas about mental ill health as a whole. How I feel is affected though by all sorts of social, environmental and cultural factors. 

In light of this, my blog appears as a method by which to work through such challenges. I regard it as an attempt to be heard without forcing people to listen. 

It won't always be serious either. I hope I'm right in thinking that people who know me know that my default outlook is not a miserable one. I laugh and smile a lot more than might be expected for someone with depression. 

The blog is going to be me, writing about whatever has kindled my interest for whatever reasons. I enjoy writing. I enjoy words. It seems to have been something that has come naturally to me. I'm not what you might call a creative person but I can write. 

So, this has been the inaugural blog post, setting out my stall, such as it is. 

I'll be honest - I'm not expecting anyone to read it! If you do read it, I sincerely hope you enjoy it.