Tag Archives: Still Life

Five thoughts regarding marriage and depression…Gillian Marchenko

Posted on May 26, 2016 by

Couples fighting mental illness often ask us what they can/should do when one spouse is depressed. Continue reading →

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Gillian Marchenko…Re-engaging into life after a depressive episode

Posted on May 19, 2016 by

Allowing myself to thaw, I find, takes way more guts than staying frozen. Frozen means no emotion. Frozen means lost days and weeks. Frozen means standing still, not thinking about others or myself. But now, the more I know, the more I work the program, the more I heal, the more I thaw. I drip emotion. I realize the toll my problems take on people around me that I love. And it hurts. Continue reading →

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6 tips on how to help a friend with depression…Gillian Marchenko

Posted on May 12, 2016 by

Don’t judge or assume that if your friend can’t ‘pull her life together’ then she just isn’t trying hard enough. Depression isn’t laziness or a lack of faith. It is a disease that requires treatment and care. Continue reading →

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Motherhood and depression guilt…

Posted on May 5, 2016 by

I may not be the best mom. I may not even get back to being the average mother I once claimed to be. But I’m here. I’m getting back up. I’m not leaving. And I’m the mom God ordained for these four souls, and therefore I am their best mom.
Continue reading →

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Life with depression is not a waste

Posted on April 21, 2016 by

God intimately knows the days I can’t function. Regardless if they are lost to me, they are not lost to him. He is not unaware of my numbed mind and aching limbs crawling towards the next minute. No, he is right there with me. He is sovereign. He is the one providing the next patch of light in my life. Even if his purpose escapes me, purpose exists nonetheless. Continue reading →

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5 things to do after someone you love receives a special needs diagnosis

Posted on April 14, 2016 by

Sometimes friends and families stay away from loved ones with a new diagnosis because they don’t know what to do. Showing up and letting the family know you care makes a huge difference in their lives. Continue reading →

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Five strategies for maintaining hope if you’re struggling with depression

Posted on April 7, 2016 by

Through my years of therapy for depression, I’ve acquired some strategies that help me hope in the future more often. Continue reading →

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Five steps churches can take to help persons with depression

Posted on March 31, 2016 by

Editor’s note: Today’s post from Gillian Marchenko is co-authored by Gillian’s husband (Sergei), a pastor for eleven years and husband to a wife with major depressive disorder for over a decade. As a couple in ministry and a family who … Continue reading →

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I am not depression

Posted on March 24, 2016 by

But I know this for certain. My depression is the illness I fight, not my identity. I’m empowered to share more with others. I am comfortable asking for prayer. I am open about the scary, difficult parts of my mental health story. Continue reading →

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The societal ruin of the term ‘depression’ and other hurtful comments about mental illness

Posted on March 17, 2016 by

We regularly watch TV shows and movies that treat mental illness, and people who have such illnesses, as one big joke.
Continue reading →

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