The Black Dog
The story of a formidable man15 total reviews
Comment from Thomas Blanks
This is a clever story. I will tell you the main reason I reviewed it was to give you your 15th review, to be recognized. no sense in being stuck on 14. Cheers!
reply by the author on 11-Sep-2022
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This is a clever story. I will tell you the main reason I reviewed it was to give you your 15th review, to be recognized. no sense in being stuck on 14. Cheers!
Comment Written 09-Sep-2022
reply by the author on 11-Sep-2022
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Thanks so much. This is really sweet of you.
Have a nice day!
Comment from robyn corum
Heather,
I am always inspired, amazed, and a little irritated by those folks who handled their depression so very well. They just pull up the old bootstraps and keep moving forward. They make the rest of us feel quite ... weak?
Can you even imagine a world where Winston Churchill just gave in to his depression and stayed home????? Wow.
Thanks!
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2022
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Heather,
I am always inspired, amazed, and a little irritated by those folks who handled their depression so very well. They just pull up the old bootstraps and keep moving forward. They make the rest of us feel quite ... weak?
Can you even imagine a world where Winston Churchill just gave in to his depression and stayed home????? Wow.
Thanks!
Comment Written 08-Sep-2022
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2022
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We aren't weak, Robyn. Depression is sometimes pretty easy to beat, but not so easy some other times.
Society and the lack of research don't help.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting.
Comment from Pearl Edwards
A very good 80 word flash fiction story about 'the black dog' and very appropriate that I be reading it today in our 'R U OK day'. I have read stories of Winston Churchill's mother and enjoyed how you showed us this mum's insight into what could come for her son. Good luck in the contest Heather.
Cheers
Valda
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2022
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A very good 80 word flash fiction story about 'the black dog' and very appropriate that I be reading it today in our 'R U OK day'. I have read stories of Winston Churchill's mother and enjoyed how you showed us this mum's insight into what could come for her son. Good luck in the contest Heather.
Cheers
Valda
Comment Written 07-Sep-2022
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2022
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Thanks so much for reading once again. xxx
Comment from Gypsy Blue Rose
I'm bipolar too. It can be a dark depression or a sky-high mania. It's hard to live with but with medicine we can live a normal life.
I would add a mental health internet site and crisis phone number.
SAMHSA is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.
1-800-662-4357
=============================
National Alliance of Mental Health
https://nami.org/help
The NAMI HelpLine 1-800-950-6264(6264) or email us at helpline@nami.org
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2022
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I'm bipolar too. It can be a dark depression or a sky-high mania. It's hard to live with but with medicine we can live a normal life.
I would add a mental health internet site and crisis phone number.
SAMHSA is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.
1-800-662-4357
=============================
National Alliance of Mental Health
https://nami.org/help
The NAMI HelpLine 1-800-950-6264(6264) or email us at helpline@nami.org
Comment Written 07-Sep-2022
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2022
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I think there are quite a few of us here. Now I say I have bipolar (it's grammatically correct even though one of my uni teachers corrected it, because after all with many other illnesses we say I have cancer...
It's a silly little thing, but it makes me feel in control: there is more to me than the illness.
I can add that to the notes, thanks. There's also an international BP association:https://ibpf.org
Thanks for your help.
Comment from Dawn Munro
Your story is wonderful -- easy to picture and to believe too. And then your notes! Wow, what a lovely addition, especially for those who have never heard of a great man.
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2022
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Your story is wonderful -- easy to picture and to believe too. And then your notes! Wow, what a lovely addition, especially for those who have never heard of a great man.
Comment Written 07-Sep-2022
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2022
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Thanks so much for your lovely review. xxx
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You are very welcome.
Comment from evilynne
It is a great little piece of flash fiction, but is it to be continued? I want to know how it goes on. Best of luck in the contest. EVi
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2022
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It is a great little piece of flash fiction, but is it to be continued? I want to know how it goes on. Best of luck in the contest. EVi
Comment Written 06-Sep-2022
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2022
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Not really. The problem with flash fiction is that it's very difficult to find a satisfactory ending, although sometimes I manage to.
Thanks for your review.
Comment from Shirley McLain
That 80 words was forboding. You gave me information I had never heard before about Churchhill. I wonder how he controlled it? You did a great job. Have a wonderful evening. Shirley
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2022
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That 80 words was forboding. You gave me information I had never heard before about Churchhill. I wonder how he controlled it? You did a great job. Have a wonderful evening. Shirley
Comment Written 05-Sep-2022
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2022
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I guess he took lithium because I think nothing else was available at the time. I've also heard he didn't pay much attention to what his doctor said.
Anyway, in most cases, bipolars spend around 80 percent of their lives being depressed, the episodes of mania are shorter, but I'm generalising because there are several types of bipolar.
I have bipolar 1, I've been in hospital 3 times which I think isn't too bad considering I'm almost 58. Sometimes I'm depressed and other times I don't even remember about bipolar.
Thanks for reading, Shirley.
Comment from Jannypan (Jan)
Your contest entry read well, Heather. Your little story
was interesting. I liked the calm way it began, then the
ending seemed so upsetting. Thanks for the video and
the informative notes. When posting from a word processor,
you need to use the icon on the top row that says 'post as plain
text--hit that then a blue rectangle tells you to press ctl shift v.
Thanks for sharing and best wishes in the contest, Jan
reply by the author on 05-Sep-2022
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Your contest entry read well, Heather. Your little story
was interesting. I liked the calm way it began, then the
ending seemed so upsetting. Thanks for the video and
the informative notes. When posting from a word processor,
you need to use the icon on the top row that says 'post as plain
text--hit that then a blue rectangle tells you to press ctl shift v.
Thanks for sharing and best wishes in the contest, Jan
Comment Written 05-Sep-2022
reply by the author on 05-Sep-2022
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Thanks, Jan. I just switched from Safari to Chrome and now it works.
And thanks again for the explanation. xxx
Comment from lyenochka
Ah, it was Churchill who came up with that "black dog" phrase for depression. Yes, I heard that but did not know he also painted. I think he slept very little and drank very much. But he was probably the most productive bi-polar person there ever was! Great story about him and it's encouraging that even though everyone can be prone to depression, we can all defeat it.
reply by the author on 05-Sep-2022
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Ah, it was Churchill who came up with that "black dog" phrase for depression. Yes, I heard that but did not know he also painted. I think he slept very little and drank very much. But he was probably the most productive bi-polar person there ever was! Great story about him and it's encouraging that even though everyone can be prone to depression, we can all defeat it.
Comment Written 05-Sep-2022
reply by the author on 05-Sep-2022
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Lots of creative people have/had bipolar. Some of them stop taking their medication because they become more productive when they do so. Very dangerous if you ask me.
Churchill was lucky and lived a long life, but many bipolars die younger because of a combination of factors: suicide, risky behaviours, side effects from their medication...
Sorry if I sound patronizing, you know a lot more than me about everything. Unfortunately, I live with bipolar myself, but I've been very lucky so far and able to lead a normal life most of the time.
Thanks for reading xxx
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I think you're right about people who suffer from bipolar being very creative. Several writers here are very open about being bipolar and the meds they take. I'm so glad you are making the most of your creativity! 💖
Comment from Dolly'sPoems
Many will identify with your words here as depression is something that many people deal with these days Heather and I believe it was Winston Churchill who first called it the 'Black dog', a poignant write, love Dolly x
reply by the author on 05-Sep-2022
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Many will identify with your words here as depression is something that many people deal with these days Heather and I believe it was Winston Churchill who first called it the 'Black dog', a poignant write, love Dolly x
Comment Written 05-Sep-2022
reply by the author on 05-Sep-2022
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Yes, it was him, Dolly.
Thanks so much for reading xxx
