Avery K. Tingle, The Gamer Author

Thing about depression is that it can hit at any time. It doesn’t need a trigger. Sometimes, your mind takes a nosedive and you’re just sad.

You don’t want to do anything when you’re sad for no reason. If you’re lucky, you wanna cuddle under a blanket with a lot of junk food and bad TV. If you’re not, the symptoms can be a lot more fatal.

People who have been clinically diagnosed with depression are not faking it. They’re not playing games to get attention. They can’t just “get over it”. Believe me, if we could snap our fingers and wish ourselves happy, I promise, we would.

I’ve been dealing with depression for more than a decade now. My symptoms aren’t so bad they need medication. I’ve become good at recognizing the signs. Most days, I know how to react.

When I get depressed, my creativity goes right out the window. This can lead to an anxious episode because my creativity is tied to my livelihood. I don’t like to curl up under a blanket because if I do, I might never come out (this isn’t me telling you what to do. If a blanket and bad TV works for you, by all means, please, do it.)

Today was-is-a hard day because of a self-inflicted depressive episode. I had a junky breakfast (never a good idea) and dealt with some family issues that sent my mood into the toilet. My creativity may tank, but the left side of my brain fires right up. This is how I made the most of the day.

1). I created ads for the notebook I just created. I’d been putting this off for about a week. Clearing it off my todo list was a boost to my mental health.

2). Signed up for sites to sell my work on sites that weren’t named “Amazon”. Jeff Bezos’ thanking everyone for sending him to space made me feel stupid. Amazon is the undisputed king of the block, yes, but it’s not the only option. Time to change my spending habits. Also a boon to my mental health.

3). Set up my task list for tomorrow. There’s safety in routine. This is especially true for someone with ADHD. Knowing what’s coming helps me plan for it, and be ready for it when it gets here.

4). I wrote this post. Writing about it makes it real. It shows that I got through it. And it might help someone else with their struggle.

My goal is to never need medication for my depression. I do not look down on people who do: quite the opposite, I’d like to know if I can help. We all manage our mental health in our own ways, this is what works for me.

How about you? Are you neurodivergent? This is a safe place. How do you manage your mental health?

Thanks for reading.

Avery K. Tingle is a scifi/fantasy author currently residing in the Las Vegas area. Owned by two cats, he is passionate about social justice, Star Wars, and mental health. Connect to his award-winning writing and social media here.