grapes is an acronym for mental wellness. let’s review.
gentle with yourself
relaxation
accomplishment
pleasure
exercise
social
how many did your accomplish today?
facing off with the big d
my journey through the depression jungle
facing off with the big d 
I had not heard of this before! Thank you!
I reblogged this 🙂
thanks for sending eyes my way. that is appreciated.
Reblogged this on After Midnight: A Christian Bipolar and commented:
I had not heard of this acronym for depression, G R A P E S
Anyone here used it?
For more info see: http://www.coastalpsychiatric.com/feeling-depressed-two-key-ways-to-improve-your-mood/
Reblogged this on quixoticfaith and commented:
This is fantastic! I think I naturally overtime learned to do all this and it has helped shorten my depressive episodes. But having this acronym in mind, GRAPES, might help even more.
The other thing I want to mention is that I often get advice to look at Scripture when I am depressed. The problem is that when I’m depressed I get fuzzy-brained and cannot concentrate on reading! The other thing about depression is that you feel completely disconnected from everything and the words just won’t sink in.
The way around this, I’ve found for me, is through music. Music has the power to bypass your mind and get straight to your heart, soul, and spirit. I can get my “Word” through listening to other Christians who are in despair, but who display just a tiny ounce of hope and focus on God’s goodness. This helps me to feel not so alone and shift my own focus towards God. “Positive” music (yeah you– local Christian radio and K-love) rarely helps me and is only “helpful” when I’m already in a good mood. It sinks me further into the pit if I am depressed, unless someone is singing about suffering and not in some sort of cliche or trite way.
I also can get lifted out of my depression through secular music bc the world is often times more honest about their despair. It’s true that much of secular music can have a negative influence on your heart and attitude, but it can also be used by God to help you to focus on Him. Isn’t God great like that? If He can speak through a donkey (ahem, jack ass) he can certainly speak through a…wait, this is a really good analogy! 😜
~Quixie
depression sucks! deep depression sucks even more! all the things that use to bring joy don’t even register as a blip on the radar. joy from music? no. joy from nature? no. joy from the thought of a creating? no. joy from creating? would have to say a little because i’m able to force out some words.
see, deep depression sucks!
It does suck! I’m going to start saying GRAPES to myself every time I get depressed. The only problem is if I have fuzzy-brain I might not remember what it means. I should probably write this somewhere and stick it on my wall…
here in lies the problem. in my formative years, i heard the message that feelings are not okay. here’s one of my favs, “you can’t be anger at me, i’m your father!”.
as an adult, i recognize the validity of not only my own feelings, but the validity of the feelings of the people around me. still, when i am acknowledged or validated, there arises a chance i will feel that something is out of sorts with what just happened. If my expression is answered with no acknowledgement or invalidation, the childhood scab gets ripped off yet again. sooner are later, i just want the pain to go away and i don’t care how.
right now, the pain encases me like a prison. that prison goes by the name of depression.
wow! your writing really stirred up some deep, old, primal wounds for me. believe it our not, that’s a good thing. it reminds me to find the strength to yell from the highest mountaintop, “validate me! acknowledge me!!” that’s all I want. why is that so difficult to do?