While I still read and lurk around the forums a couple of times a week, I was shocked to see that I haven't posted in years. I guess I was more burned out than I thought. A week not posting, turned into a month not posting, then into several months not posting, and then to years not posting very quickly for me. While I hit a very dark depression around the time I stopped posting, the last year has been very positive for me in general. Here are some of the highlights:
-I fought my depression and won without any medications. Actually I would have loved medication at the beginning. However, given my addictive personality and strong family history of drug abusers, the therapist I was seeing wouldn't give me any. I consider myself extremely lucky to have made it out of that dark time without medications. There are so many people who struggle to find their way out with the help medications, and there are many who never find their way out of depression.
-Location, location, location has been one key factor to finding a happier and at peace version of myself. I finally escaped the city of my birth! I literally moved to the middle of the woods and am so much better off for that decision. No more having to deal with obnoxious neighbors. I haven't heard loud music, shouting teens, or gunshots in the middle of the night since I moved. The only things I hear at night now are bugs, frogs, raccoons, and deer.
-I traded in a short commute to work to an hour long one each way when I moved. I love it! I was lucky enough to transfer my job from where I was to a bigger city. With that transfer I gained more working hours, which is awesome. The long commute gives me a chance to chill and center myself before arriving home each day. This helped to eliminate the majority of the stress I was having.
-I got a new puppy. His name is George and he is a lab/german Shepard mix. He is solid black and looks like a full lab. He is also huge, way bigger than my other two current dogs or the previous lab I owned. It is a good thing I love big dogs. He has helped me to find and keep the joy in life.
-Most importantly, I found love again. That is something I had never thought would happen again for me. I am very blessed to have found someone who matches up with me so well.
That is all of my good news for now. Hopefully, it won't be a few more years before I come out of lurking to post again.