Mindframe | A Place for Help

find support. change your mindframe. fight depression.

Supporting those with depression is hard. Mindframe offers support for those who need someone to lift them when they become tired

Depression is something that most cannot fully grasp or comprehend until either they, or someone they know, falls victim. Offering support, help and encouragement to those diagnosed with clinical depression is crucial to their well-being. But what about those people exhausting themselves day in and day out that are lending this support to those who are diagnosed? Who helps them remain strong? Who gives them a boost? How do they avoid becoming collateral damage to depression? A simple answer: MINDFRAME.

Mindframe is a unique non-profit movement dedicated to helping those who grow weary from depression and specifically those who become weak from strengthening others who suffer from depression, but have no one to support them in return. Mindframe's vision and goal is to be that support. By becoming part of the Mindframe Movement, spreading awareness about clinical depression and those who have become collateral damage of it, you can improve your own mindframe and the mindframe of countless others who are in situations just like your's! You are not alone! Don't succumb to depression's deadly grasp! Unite to fight it!

Be sure to check out our WordPress, Facebook and Twitter pages to keep up on Mindframe's day-to-day by clicking on the buttons below!

In the darkest of moments, a choice was made to keep fighting

I am Rachel. This is my story. This is the story of MINDFRAME.

THE ATTACK:

I was lying in bed when it happened. The green glow of the clock highlighted the tears on my cheeks as the images of years past streaked across my mind. The sound of my baby sister throwing her body down a flight of stairs. The rusty color of scabs on my younger brother's skin as he purged his pain with cuts. The image of my mother curled despondently on the couch, weeping tears of defeat day after day. One, two, three. Sister, brother, mother. Three of my closest family memebers fell to the clutches of clinical depression. There was no trigger, no warning, no chance to escape. Eyes wet with devastation, heart-broken and overwhelmed, my father and I worked tirelessly to stop the hemorrhage. One minute we had had blue skies and the next we were bleeding tears and hurt. We were a family damaged beyond recognition. It did not take us long to understand that fighting mental illness was and is next to impossible. We labored stubbornly in our resolve to put things back the way they once were. I wanted normalcy in my family again more than anything I had ever desired. I ached for it. I sobbed for it. I clutched desperately for it. And I was determined to have it back. I would have laid down my life, both physically and emotionally, to see my wish materialized. ASSESSING THE DAMAGE:
Years passed. I waited for "normal," to return, but our new normal had been decided for us, so we adapted instead. Step by step, we pushed hard to find simple moments of laughter and pleasure again. Each new day was hard in its own right. We could trip, fall down, stand up, take a few steps and trip again. It never became easier. It did, however, become possible. Because of our progress, I allowed my focus to shift back to my own life: my husband, my home, my career. In essence, I pulled myself from the front lines and reassigned my duties to the surveillance team. With one eye on my family, with the other on my own ambitions, and with hope in my heart, I succumbed to the card we had been handed in life and watched my family slowly rebuild their reality. This simple fact alone allowed me to sleep at night.

In the months that ensued, I spent my time wiping smeared mascara from my tear-stained cheeks and blowing my nose into a roll of toilet paper. My heart weighed heavy yet hollow. Pulling air into my lungs became a chore and my mind struggled to keep up with its thoughts. I fought the urge to vomit and sob and thrash around almost daily. My arms and legs and mouth wanted to kick and scream and spit but could hardly find the energy to climb out of bed. Grief, Anger, Guilt and Fear became constant companions. I hurt horribly in places I did not know could even feel pain, and was leery of anything perceived as "happy" for fear it would vaporize in my hands, or worse, turn to sadness. Friends? Forget it. They would never understand the burden I secretly supported. My anxiety became unbearable and traced my every footstep. Each time the phone rang my stomach sank to my toes as I considered the worst-case scenario on the other end of the line. I was terrified to taste the sweet lest it was tainted with the bitter. And I had forgotten what it was like to smile from the inside, to have laughter stem from real pleasure, to think genuine, joyful thoughts. Eventually, my own desire to live faltered as did my self-respect and dignity. My marriage limped along as my husband mourned the loss of the woman he had married, the woman he missed. I was privately losing control of myself, my mind, my body, my spirit. Defeated. Inconsolable. Broken. I was going down. And hard. I felt the fingers of melancholy inching closer and closer, until one day, it was done. Clinical depression had its grip on me. And like the flip of a switch, my light went out.

A NEW FRAME OF MIND:
What took me seconds to recognize in my own family took me years to recognize in myself. The reality was I had sustained my own critical injuries in the fight against clinical depression. Although the spotlight shone bright, I dutifully performed my song and dance year after year for all to see so that the remainder of my family could battle the beast of mental illness behind closed curtains. It was only after I retreated backstage and into the shadows of my own life that my facade crumbled from its very core. My autopilot sputtered to a stop when I realized I had been sucker-punched by the very thing that I had fought so violently against. But with the rest of my family tangled in their own recovery and reeling from the wounds of years past, there was no one left to attend to my own damaged mind. I found myself again feeling very much alone. But this realization got me thinking: Surely there were others, friends and family of mentally ill persons who, too, could be deemed collateral damage to clinical depression. They had to be out there hurting and empty and gasping for hope just as much as I! I was lying in bed when it happened. The green glow of the clock highlighted the tears on my cheeks when a pivotal moment presented itself. In that instant, I had to choose either to keep fighting or give up entirely. I chose to keep fighting. And MINDFRAME was born.

Wear a shirt, tell the story, raise awareness!

Why buy a shirt and other Mindframe gear? That's easy. Not only will you be sporting well-designed products, you will also be raising awareness of clinical depression by giving others a chance to ask what your shirt means and telling them what Mindframe is all about. The gear that is sold helps keep Mindframe alive, makes it possible to reach a broader audience and find those who need help. Please share your experiences with us, we'd love to hear them and share them with the rest of the Mindframe Movement!

All shirts are unisex, are available in sizes S-XL and are $15, plus $5 shipping.

Other ways to get involved are to follow the day-to-day of Mindframe at our WordPress, Facebook and Twitter pages by clicking on the buttons below! See you there!

Have something to say? Speak up! The Mindframe Movement would love to hear your story, your thoughts and be inspired by you!

*Realize that we are not doctors, therapists or professionals. We are here to lend support and try to give direction. Mindfame is a platform to gain strength and hope from others who are going through the same struggles. A place where those who are weary from helping others battle depression, or who are battling it themselves can gain support and perspective. If you are searching for help or for someone to talk to, please see our suggestions and links on our WordPress site.