Happy New Year 2017

I will probably be sleep when the new year rolls in so I will tell all of you wonderful people now ... HAPPY NEW YEAR!! May 2017 bring you everything and more that 2016 neglected to provide. May your hustle be harder so that you may reap the fruits of your labor. Everyone makes mistakes, only the wise learn from them. May this be the year that you are educated as a result of your mistakes and you go forward making the right decisions. Learn from yesterday, live for today and keep all hope for tomorrow. May the love you did not receive from family, friends, and/or a significant other show up in FULL FORCE when you finally stop looking for love where it is not seeking to be found. Open the package not wrapped to your liking and find out if the contents are all you hoped for! May all your dreams come true this new year and all of your efforts become huge accomplishments and achievements.

Be blessed beautiful people!

Father please continue to watch over my children in these crazy Duval streets! Amen!

Depression is REAL!

I am going to be totally transparent with you all right now. I am 46 years old and for as long as I can remember I have suffered from depression. I was not clinically diagnosed until my early 30's. I managed to deal with it for many years because of my out going personality. Typing and reading that entire statement back just now sounds crazy to me, depression and outgoing but that is how it is usually masked.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms of depression may include the following: difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions, fatigue and decreased energy, feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness, feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism, insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping, irritability, restlessness, loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex, overeating or appetite loss, persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment, persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings and thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts.

What does depression look like to you?

For me, depression looks like 'over compensating happiness'. Anyone who looks at the bulk of my Facebook posts would assume I am very happy, extremely out going, living & loving life and indeed I am but behind the computer screens and closed doors it is a different story. There are days that consist of a lot of tears, melt downs & out bursts and often times seclusion. When I am out, 6 times out of 10 I was dragged out by someone who cares. When school is in I use that and work as an excuse to turn down dates or outings. This is what depression looks like to me.

Sure a lot of us feel sad, lonely or depressed at times, it is a normal reaction to many of life's ups and downs but when it becomes overwhelming it is a problem. If it begins to effect you physically, like weight gain or loss, because you have no desire to do your normal activities due to extreme fatigue do not ignore those signs. Do you sleep a lot or binge eat? Does this lasts for long periods of time? Please don't ignore those signs. If it keeps you from leading a normal, active life there is definitely a reason to be concerned. Those moments of feeling down for no apparent reason and crying spells for reasons you can't explain are indicative of depression. Mental illness is real, DEPRESSION IS REAL ... do not ignore the signs, get help.

I pray my transparency will help someone come forward about their depression. Please know that you are not alone in this battle. Those you love and love you would much rather see you seek treatment than to find out later that you were suffering alone.