Vajra Blue

Mindfulness and Compassion. Understanding trauma in young people.


Depression: Activation in action. Setting goals and training the black dog.

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You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.
Winston Spencer Churchill.

Sir Winston Churchill, the British wartime Prime Minister, used the childhood expression “Black Dog”, to describe periods of altered, gloomy mood, that plagued him throughout his life.

These dips in mood could be so severe as to render him bed bound, yet they usually recovered over a period of weeks. Despite this, he managed to lead the United Kingdom from almost certain defeat to victory.

The  expression, Black Dog, has since become almost synonymous with depression.

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Shedding light on PTSD and Depression

A slightly different take on being PTSD from mindus101

mindus101

photo credit: pixgood.com

I have associated PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) with war veterans whose lives are disrupted by horrendous memories of war, or with people who have suffered equally disturbing violations like rape, shooting sprees, natural disasters, devastating accidents, physical abuse, among other traumatic experiences.

Although I have my share of undesired memories of experiences, I truly did not expect to be diagnosed, as I recently did, as having PTSD.

PTSD is defined as a “disruption in the systematic functioning of the body due to mental or emotional strain following a deeply disturbing or traumatic experience”.

Back in October of last year I found myself “back on the couch”,  feeling somewhat defeated but determined to “figure out” why, after “all the work” I have done on healing, I still found myself, at times, feeling stuck and overwhelmed by bouts of anxiety and depression.

This was my first visit with Dr. Davis, although…

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