I've found that if a depression episode lasts long enough, I forget the habits of daily activities. I mean, I know they should be done, but I forget how to do them easily and automatically. I actually have to think about and relearn the steps to do the activity. And it happens to lots of the daily habits. Everything from sweeping the house to putting fertiliser in the garden to reconnecting properly with friends.
It's okay to say I've come out of a depression episode, but there is another few weeks where I'm essentially in rehab mode, relearning the little daily activities of my live. It's a fragile state and it's easy during this time to plunge back into a depression episode.
Family members should be aware of this and give us the time to get back up to speed. And we should be honest with families and friends and tell them that we are going to be slow and inefficient until we relearn our habits.
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First published 5 Sep 2020.