I started writing my blog, The Order Of The Dog, a month ago. I'd already been open on Facebook about my recent struggles with depression and anxiety. People said a blog would be a good way to tell my story, to help educate people and to act almost as a continuation of the counseling and therapy I'd just undergone. I thought a handful of people would read it and it would dissappear as quickly as I started it.
I can honestly say I never thought it would have the effect it did.
I typed it out and put it out onto the internet one lunchtime. By the time I'd made some soup my phone was buzzing with updates of likes and shares. I started getting messages of support, of how much people related to it. Then people started telling me their stories. Stories of confusion, of sadness, of loneliness, from themselves or family members. Some left me in tears with some of the things they confided in me. I was touched I'd been able to reach out to people and try and help them in some way.
I started thinking and decided to set up a closed Facebook group, also called The Order Of The Dog. People have been able to chat and offer each other support which had been great, the fact that it's extended from just being my story.
Over the past few weeks the blog has developed further than I thought it would. I've been able to talk openly about my previous suicide attempt, about how music affects my life and also how depression and anxiety have affected me the past year. I even managed to do an email interview with someone who's been a major influence on me, Ginger Wildheart.
It feels good that I've been able to reach out. I went to a gig on Friday night and a couple of people came up to me to talk about the blog and how it's helped them get a better understanding of what people go through. I felt a little embarrassed, to be honest, but good as well that people have been able to talk about it.
Over the next few months I've got plans, especially with where I'm taking this. I'm about to sort out some emails and chats with other people who suffer, as well as family members of people who've had to support their loved ones. I'm going to look at various aspects of what happens to suffers and what they've gone through. I'm going to sit and talk to my dad who was diagnosed with early onset Alzhiemers a few years ago about how depression affected him. I'm even toying wth the idea of a proper website, thanks to the offer of a friend who's offered to help. And a whole host of other things.
I've also started publishing the blog through WordPress as well as Blogger, thanks to Google deciding to ban the blog over the weekend, thanks to some automated service. It's helped me reach a wider audience which has been positive.
At the minute, the blogs are sitting at nearly three and a half thousand views. I thought when I started I'd be lucky to break double digits. It's really enforced the feeling that I'm doing something right, that I'm going on the right direction. I know I've helped people open up and get an understanding. There's something about taking something that was negative and making something more out of it.
That's it for this one. I'm hoping to put these up a couple of times a week now. Some will be about me, some will be about others. I hope to build a stronger relationship with everyone I can through this.
If you want to take part in telling your story you can email me at rustyred666@googlemail.com or do a search for The Order Of The Dog on Facebook.
Much love,
Scott.
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