I really can't believe it, but sitting and writing this blog does not seem to have been a waste of my time. What started off as a means of putting pen to paper, figuratively speaking, in order to get things out of my system, has become quite an important part of my days. What is more important is that it enables me to keep my mind active and to rant about things that really upset me, without having to raise my voice or resort to violence.
It would be untruthful of me to say that I didn't hope that someone would read what I wrote. Who among us doesn't write in the hopes that someone else will read what we have to say, and maybe agree with us. I was lucky because I received a comment on my second post, so I knew that at least one person, other than myself, had bothered to read what I had written. The comment welcomed me to the blogosphere. Then I wrote a few more things, and more comments arrived. It seemed that there were a number of people out there who felt that I had stuck a chord somewhere and that what I had written had some merit.
The day that the visitor counter passed 250 was a good one for me. It seemed that I had started to do something that was worthwhile, it was helping my state of mind, and I had already started to get a regular readership. Because my Internet connection has been down for a couple of weeks, thanks to BT, I haven't been able to access my blog as easily as I would if I could do it at home, and I haven't been able to read my blog favourites as easily either. I did note on Wednesday that the landmark of 500 visitors to the blog was approaching, but today I have found that it has been passed and significantly so.
How have people found my site I wondered? Some have found it because of reading other bloggers who have been kind enough to mention me (a big thank you to Jobbing Doctor here, because he really put me on the map), some have found me by searching the web for things about depression. Depression is one of those things that affects so many of us, and it is a shame that we have to write anonymously about how it affects our lives because mental illness is something that those who don't suffer from it feel is not a nice subject of conversation.
One thing that writing this blog has taught me is that I have something to say, and even if I can't say it out loud to the population at large, I can start to get my message across to a growing number of people through this medium. I don't know if what I write has helped anyone, I hope it has, because it has certainly made a big difference to my life. So thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read what I have written.
3 comments:
Rather contrary to what many people read in the media, there are a lot of doctors who really care for their patients.
I shall never meet you, don't know who you are, and you will never meet me. But something in your blog has given me some more insight into the trials of living with depression.
I suppose I always felt implicitly more understanding of living with depression as my mother spent nearly 2 years as an in-patient in a victorian asylum (psychiatric hospital) when I was a teenager.
I know what it is like to live with depression. I try to remember Nelson Mandela's advice: the only way to know someone is to walk for a mile in their shoes.
Keep on blogging - it helps others who are not as articulate as you are: it also helps ordinary doctors like me to understand stuff a little better.
I'm glad blogging has helped you - your blog has actually helped me understand a little more what life with depression is actually like - I'm not sure what I thought it was like before, I don't suppose I ever thought about it.
Keep on blogging! You're very good at it, and you deserve to get a bigger readership still.
Just letting you know i'm still reading and i'm pleased to know that you find blogging helpful. Take care.
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