It was my 15th trip to the Emergency Room that month. The ER doctor recognized me. He took the usual blood and urine samples as I waited in the room in pain. When he returned he had a packet of papers that he printed out.
“I have a suspicion you have interstitial cystitis,” he said and handed me the stack of papers. “You should see a urologist to get the official diagnosis.”
I’ve always loved that patch of stillness that succeeds the holidays: No work, no school, no parties to prepare for or gifts to buy. The sun doesn’t rise until 7:20 and it sets again just after 5, abandoning well over half of the day’s 24 hours to darkness. For me, this means I can embrace my tendencies toward hibernation without feeling antisocial. The first quiet days of January feel like a reprieve from the tumult of the previous year.
This is an article on non-medicinal ways to combat the symptoms of depression and anxiety. As always, if you’re having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 (in the U.S.), or your local mental health hotline.