depression Archives - Wine'ing Momma

When Was The Last Time Someone Asked “Are you ok?”

October 21, 2019 by Alisha 1 Comment

One of my friends shared this interview on her instagram account and it truly struck a nerve. Here’s a woman, a Duchess, that from the outside you would think that life has got to be pretty good for her. I mean she’s the Duchess of Sussex! But then I realize that she’s still a woman and new mother. So many of us have been right where she is but luckily for us we weren’t under the scrutiny of media and an entire country watching our every move.

Last week, ITV news released a clip of an upcoming documentary Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and after such a simple question of “are you doing ok” you could see in her eyes that she was not. She even answered the interviewer by saying “not many people have asked if I’m ok”. Wow!

Our society always put so much emphasis on woman looking and acting a certain way even during pregnancy. People go out of there way to point out when celebrities aren’t looking their best, have put on too much weight or have expressed how being pregnant was one of the most stressful experiences. And then once you’ve become a new mom everything is so focused on the snapback and how quickly you lost the baby weight. [Read more…]

5 Ways to Not Be an Asshole Toward People Dealing With Mental Illness

May 9, 2019 by Alisha 16 Comments

Image illustrated by Brian D’Cruz Hypno Plus

Did you know that Mental Health Awareness month has been observed each year during the month of May since 1949? I don’t ever recall there being a time growing up that mental health was discussed as openly until I became an adult. I’m glad that more people are wanting to get help but there are still so many that feel isolated or ashamed about their mental illness.

If you’ve been with me for a while you know I typically discuss my love for all things related to natural hair, my crazy ass kids and wine. Literally those are the three top things that I feel represent who I am as a person. But for the last year and a half I’ve also focused on a lot of things outside of my blog. That would be dealing with mental illness.

For the last three years I’ve been working as a Crisis Consultant for a suicide hotline. While it is probably one of the most stressful jobs I’ve had, it is also one of the most rewarding! The majority of my jobs since I graduated from college have dealt with mental illness in one way or another but not as intimately as this one.

I’ve been trying to figure out the best way for a while now to address some of the issues that come up when I’m talking with callers. I like to just cut to the chase when I’m talking with people on the phone so I figured that would also translate to how I wanted to discuss this on my blog as well. The only way I figured that would work was if I gave some tips on how to treat people that are dealing with mental illness. [Read more…]

5 Ways to Cope with Depression During the Holidays

December 7, 2018 by Alisha 1 Comment

When a lot of us think of December we think about all of the celebrations that happen during the month. A few of these are Christmas, Hanukkah and Ramadan. Many people equate these holidays with joy and a time of being with family and loved ones. But for many this time of year can trigger sadness and increased depression. There is an expectation for everyone to want to spread good cheer and give more than they receive. There are a lot of factors that can cause these feelings of hopelessness and depression:

SAD – Seasonal Affective Disorder can happen year round but typically affects those during the fall and winter months. The shorter days and colder months tend to just zap all of your energy and can increase depression. The “winter blues” are real and shouldn’t be dismissed or taken lightly. A lot of times treatment can include light therapy, medication or counseling. Since I work overnights I feel like I get about an hour of sunlight a day! Light therapy has made a huge difference in my mood.
Finances – A lot of times you might get caught up trying to keep up with The Joneses and you want to make sure your kids or family have everything they want. But the stress of not being able to provide if finances are tight can make you feel like you’re letting people down.
Stress – Trying to make sure you’ve got the perfect gifts, house is ready for family, dinner for 20 is taken care of…that’s a lot of crap to deal with!
People Pleaser – Putting yourself last and making sure everyone else’s needs are met can also wear you down.

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