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Happy Anniversary with WordPress.com!You registered on WordPress.com 9 years ago.Thanks for flying with us. Keep up the good blogging.I received the message above from WordPress yesterday. This kind of thing makes me reminisce, thinking about how I got here. My blog has gone through many changes over the years. It’s still a mish mash of life experiences, poetry or whatever else I happen to fancy at the moment. I’ve made some wonderful friends along the way.
For those of you who have come along for the ride, I thank you!
Author: Penny Wilson Writes
Penny Wilson is a freelance writer who writes in several genres. She has written articles for WOW Women on Writing. Her poetry has been published in online journals, such as Ariel Chart, Spill Words Press and the Poppy Road Review. Penny is a member of the Austin Poetry Society. Her poetry has been featured in the publication America's Emerging Poets 2018 & 2019 by Z Publishing and Poets Quarterly and Dual Coast Magazine published by Prolific Press. Penny is an advocate for Mental Health Awareness and has the page "Mental Health Help" on her blog. She writes about the struggles of mental illnesses and Depression. She is passionate about spreading awareness for Suicide Prevention and
Domestic Abuse. She expresses her passion through her writings of poetry and life experiences. You can find more of her writings on her blog at https://pennywilsonwrites.com/ and follow her on Twitter @pennywilson123.
Guess What I’ve Been Doing?
Depression-A Killer
How long will this subject remain in the shadows? How long will it have such a stigma attached to it that people dare not even use the word ‘Depression’?
Life has no value to depression. EVERY DAY 121 Americans commit suicide. 50% of those people suffered from depression.
More than 38,000 people a year commit suicide. Yet 80 to 90% of those that seek help for depression are helped using therapy and/or drugs.
The problem with that, is the fact that only about 50% of those that suffer from depression seek help. Why? Because it’s a dirty little secret that no one wants to talk about!
Kurt Cobain, Robbin Williams, Mindy McCready, director of the movie Top Gun Tony Scott, linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs; Jovan Belcher, actress Lucy Gordon and Jonathan Brandis-star of The Never Ending Story. These are all people that committed suicide. I could easily fill a page with names.
Depression is sneaky and deceptive. It creeps into your life in such subtle ways, you don’t even know it’s happening until one day, you look around yourself and your entire word has gone grey. What I mean by grey, is that your world no longer has any color to it. It has no life. NOTHING matters any more. NOTHING brings you joy. Depression has stolen that from you.
(this is one of those things that No One wants to talk about or admit to) I am one of the lucky ones. I’ve struggled with depression off and on for most of my life. I never attempted suicide, but I did think about it at times.
Right now, I’m good. Hell, I’m great! Life is wonderful, alive and quite rich for me. But I never know if or when it may come into my life again. I hope never. But I can’t be certain of that.
WEB MD says that some of the signs of depression are:
- Fatigue or loss of energy almost every day
- Feelings of worthlessness or guilt almost every day
- Impaired concentration, indecisiveness
- Insomnia or hypersomnia (excessive sleeping) almost every day
- Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in almost all activities nearly every day (called anhedonia, this symptom can be indicated by reports from significant others)
- Restlessness or feeling slowed down
- Recurring thoughts of death or suicide
- Significant weight loss or gain (a change of more than 5% of body weight in a month)
If you know of someone that might be depressed, reach out to them. Start a conversation. Let them know that it’s alright to talk about it! Let’s bring depression out of the shadows and into the light. This is the only way people are going to feel safe enough to talk about it and seek help.
* I found my information/statistics at various websites. Here are a few that have wonderful articles on depression and how to seek help:
Copyright (C) 2018 Penny Wilson
Please be sure to check out my Mental Health Help Page for more helpful resources.
*I know that this is a repeat of an older post, but I felt that it was worth repeating. ❤
Let Me Slumber
Under the stars
the grass is cool
against my fevered skin
You are in silhouette
but I know your breath
as it warms me
The breezes carry
your scent to me
The fireflies dance
as if in celebration
I’m intoxicated
by the night
If in a dream
let me slumber
I do not wish
the daylight
to intrude
Copyright (C) 2023 Penny Wilson All Rights Reserved
A Review of Lion Scream by Robbie Cheadle
REBLOG: PLease read Charles’ review of Robbie’s new book!
I received this book and read it in one sitting. It is staggering in its beauty and message. Robbie Cheadle has crafted an excellent book, filled with syllabic poetry, commentary, and a short story. Taken as a whole, this text is an important lesson on the impact of humanity on the wildlife of Southern Africa and, by extension, the rest of the world.
“Lion Scream”, the title of the book and one of the poems within, is my favorite. It is short but deeply impactful. Cheadle shows her talent with words as she creates this poem, and then many others in a fascinating form called the Double Enead, which has 99 syllables.
Cheadle’s book is a masterpiece! I do not use these words lightly or easily, but this book moved me emotionally and intellectually. I was shaken and in tears while I read it. As a man of my age…
View original post 74 more words
You’ll Be There
As my time here grows shorter, the fear fades.
It’s a comfort, really, knowing you’ll be there when I leave this place.
We can catch up like we always do.
It will be like continuing a conversation from yesterday.
You’ll show me the ropes and all the best places to hang out.
You’ve always been part of me. It’s good to know that you always will be.
Copyright (C) 2023 Penny Wilson
Emotional Intelligence Developer Website
The nice people at the Emotional Intelligence Developer’s website have asked me to be a contributor on their blog. What EID says about their site:
“Emotional Intelligence is all about developing your mental and emotional control (EQ)
Read Self-help content published by writers who promote (EQ). Our messages are broad. The work shared on this website comes from writers who are passionate about helping people grow.”
My first post on EID’s site is called No Shame. Please give it a look, spend some time on the site and show them a little love.
Thank you! Penny ❤
Counseling Services Available
In November of last year, I did a post about Affordable Mental Health Counseling. You can see that post HERE.
I asked my readers if they had information about Affordable Counseling services to please let me know and I will add it to my Mental Health Help Page.
The nice people at Boca Recovery Center contacted me about their services. They have 4 locations. 2 in Florida, 1 in Indiana and 1 in New Jersey.
When it comes to affordability, they offer a program called the Badgley Scholarship where people can write a letter to Boca and one bed is covered free of charge a month at their facilities. They also have a free 24/7 Helpline at 1-800-516-4357.
If you have more questions, there is a wealth of information on their website HERE.
There is a growing need for Mental Health Services, especially for those with lower incomes. If any of my readers has information about these types of services and would like for me to add them to my Mental Health Help Page, please contact me, through my Contact Page, and I would be happy to add the information.
Copyright 2023 Penny Wilson All Rights Reserved
Kindness
“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear
and the blind can see.”
~Mark Twain
Empty
I feel only the void the hole left behind How can one feel nothing I touch it every day since you've been gone In my next life I hope we meet again so the emptiness can be filled with your love Copyright (C) Penny Wilson 2023 All Rights Reserved
Penny Wilson Writes 