The Challenge To those of you who don't know, I have depression.
I was "diagnosed" it in 2009. From the ranged topics on my blog and occasionally on my YouTube channel, it is probably obvious that I don't have my shit together. But upon really looking at my blog and a reflection of the past year, I can see how scattered I truly am.
It is only recently that I have found some form of courage to come out of the dark cubby hole and share this obvious fact with the world. But this is more than just me telling the world what I live with- this is me telling myself that I am still shroud in this darkness.
The way I coped with depression when I was younger was to drown myself in a book and refused to surface for air until I felt better. I didn't read the Harry Potter series- I lived them. I cried with them, I prayed with them, I fought with them, and I died with them.
Anyone with depression can tell you that the weight of it is paralyzing.
As years came and gone, I got caught up in completing high school, work and the life of an adult. I fought back the depression with anti-depressants and mood stabilizers prescribed by my PCP. And I still have some demons, still that darkness creeps up to strike me down when I am not watching.
The terror about depression is the darkness is inside of you working its way out. It changes your actions, creates a different person and causes you to feel isolated and alone. There are times when I feel like a stranger among my own thoughts.
I am seeking the peace that a good book used to give. I haven't challenged myself to do much since I graduated, and this year I can see I need a goal to complete. I joined Goodreads and have set myself up a 50 book challenge for 2012. I am attempting to earn back the tittle of "Bookworm" as well as finding a way to cope with this never ending battle with Depression.
“Fairy tales are more than true;
Anyone with depression can tell you that the weight of it is paralyzing.
As years came and gone, I got caught up in completing high school, work and the life of an adult. I fought back the depression with anti-depressants and mood stabilizers prescribed by my PCP. And I still have some demons, still that darkness creeps up to strike me down when I am not watching.
The terror about depression is the darkness is inside of you working its way out. It changes your actions, creates a different person and causes you to feel isolated and alone. There are times when I feel like a stranger among my own thoughts.
I am seeking the peace that a good book used to give. I haven't challenged myself to do much since I graduated, and this year I can see I need a goal to complete. I joined Goodreads and have set myself up a 50 book challenge for 2012. I am attempting to earn back the tittle of "Bookworm" as well as finding a way to cope with this never ending battle with Depression.
“Fairy tales are more than true;
not because they tell us that dragons exist,
but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”
― G.K. Chesterton
How I do My Book Reviews:
Title: (Title of the Book I read)
Author: (Person/s who wrote said book)
Synopsis: (Normally what is on Goodreads)
Review:
a.) Characters: ___/5 score. (How real the characters are, how believable their actions seem, their attitudes, their responsibilities, their achievements, etc. It all goes here, in a group of all character in the book. So having one bad character out of ten good ones can lower the score, depending on how good the others are.)
Author: (Person/s who wrote said book)
Synopsis: (Normally what is on Goodreads)
Review:
a.) Characters: ___/5 score. (How real the characters are, how believable their actions seem, their attitudes, their responsibilities, their achievements, etc. It all goes here, in a group of all character in the book. So having one bad character out of ten good ones can lower the score, depending on how good the others are.)
b.) Plot: ___/5 score. (Again, how real the plot is OR how real the fantasy is, depending on the story. Descriptions of the environment, the struggles, the tasks, etc. The more logic behind something makes it more believable. However, this can also be tricky, because this also gets points from the way the story line progresses, if it is smooth or choppy.)
c.) Writing style: ___/5 score. (Overall descriptions of characters, places, tasks, etc. and how well the author uses description in the story. Creative telling, showing, and displays are looked at, as well as general usage of descriptive words. There are many ways to give life to a story and it's all in the writing.)
Rating: ___/15 total. (This is the total, as you can see, of the entire score added up. This is what determines the total stars received, as seen below.)
Star System:
13-15 score = 5 Stars
10-12 score = 4 Stars
7-9 score = 3 Stars
4-6 score = 2 Stars
1-3 score = 1 Stars
No score = No Stars
Rating: ___/15 total. (This is the total, as you can see, of the entire score added up. This is what determines the total stars received, as seen below.)
Star System:
13-15 score = 5 Stars
10-12 score = 4 Stars
7-9 score = 3 Stars
4-6 score = 2 Stars
1-3 score = 1 Stars
No score = No Stars
