Depression is something that occupied much of my life. Dealing with the fallout started when I was a child and progressed through most of my adult life. While much of it wasn't easy, one of the biggest problems I faced was my conception of time.
Modern medicine is miraculous. Medication can change moods in weeks and the results are fantastic...to a point. Medications can't change the events of the past and they can't remove the things that lead to depression. Medications only stop the fall and give the sufferer a chance to find their own methods to improve their health. Even then, there's no guarantee the sufferer will be "repaired" and the ugly specter of depression may reappear - sometimes with a vengeance.
Meanwhile, the detrimental emotions of fallout continue. All the sadness, confusion, anger, and false hope can slowly destroy. The final result may be bitterness, resentment and a huge distrust of people. Possible future healthy relationships are in jeopardy before they even start. The scars are too deep and the wariness is too strong for anything but suspicion and apprehension. These are emotions you should address and stop before they overwhelm.
Time is precious and waiting for things to change is wasted time. Only you can change your life and the biggest change is your attitude. You can't change another, so you change how you feel. If they're distant, you occupy yourself in some other way. If they're critical, or vindictive, you accept their illness is controlling their life and never take any of it personally. If they're claiming they don't love you and don't know if they ever really did, accept they may be speaking truth, but realize they're probably reacting to their depression. Depression is much stronger than your love and realizing it can destroy those you love the most is something you should face. Even more important is realizing it can destroy you, too. Never allow the depression of another to control your life.
Use your time wisely. You only have so much and the journey of life mandates it will all be gone eventually. You can use it to learn, spending it doing the things that make it enjoyable, or waste it by standing still. It's a choice and yours alone.




