Isolation is not good...Concerns about memory (if I remember correctly)...Red rules!

Isolation

Excerpt from "The Creator's Tapestry" *:  "Individual personhood, therefore, must be distinguished from the fullness of humanity. Every individual is fully human, but an individual alone cannot express the fullness of humanity. St. Augustine argued for peace & unity in society in the remembrance that all men were created from one man, and 'this fact should teach mankind to preserve a harmonious unit in plurality.'" [City of God, Book 12, 27.]
          MY COMMENTS:  One symptom of depression, maybe not universal but very common, is a feeling of isolation. In fact, it is very common for someone suffering from clinical depression to not only feel isolated but to actively seek to isolate himself or herself from other people. Why? 

• In my case, I just didn't want to be around other people many times. 
• I felt like I couldn't COPE being around other people. 
• I felt very, very self-conscious. 
• I felt like other people knew that I was feeling depressed, inferior--knew that I was barely treading water & sinking fast.
• Did I mention that someone who is chronically depressed is not typically thinking rationally? Yes, I believe I have mentioned that.
• My excerpt from "The Creator's Tapestry" is meant to highlight that isolation is not meant to be our natural state.
• We are meant to be in & around others. We are meant to be in relationships. We are not meant to be socially isolated. It's not healthy for us.
• A sign you MAY ** be suffering from depression:  You can't bear the thought of getting out of bed. You can't bear the thought of leaving the house. At one time you liked going to social gatherings & spending time with others. That time is getting harder & harder for you to remember.

* The Creator's Tapestry:  A Report of the Commission on Theology & Church Relations. The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. December 2009, page 42.
** I am not a clinical specialist. You need a specialist to tell you whether you are suffering from clinical depression, because there are things that can be done to make you better.

Problems with memory

Excerpt from Omaha World Herald (10/12/15):  "It's not you:  'Digital amnesia' affects both young & old . . . An interesting & scary study that has just come out from Europe documented a forgetfulness phenomenon it calls 'digital amnesia.' Young & old, we're outsourcing our brainwork to digital devices, & memories are the worse for it . . . Neuroscientists & others have been studying how new technology affects the brain's memory power for quite awhile. Apparently, new technology can change our old brains quickly.
      "According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the avg human attention span was 12 seconds in 2000. Now it's 8.25 seconds. A goldfish has a 9-second attention span--if by some chance you're still playing attention . . . "
      MY COMMENT:  Clinical depression & general anxiety disorders--both of which I've confessed to you that I've had diagnosed--can have negative effects on memory. Medications used to address these conditions can also have side effects that also affect memory. That's why it's so important to consult a mental health specialist about diagnosis & medications.
      On top of my mental health conditions & the medications I take to help me cope, I also have to contend with how my use of technology might also be negatively affecting my memory? This seems to be causing me additional anxiety.

Boosting your brainpower

Excerpt from Parade Magazine (10/4/15) *:  "23 Ways to Boost Your Brainpower. (2) Write in red ink. A fascinating new study from the University of Regensburg in Germany found that the color red 'binds' into our memory better than other colors--making it ideal for recalling what's on your to-do list."
* This was actually part of a Walgreen's advertising insert.

      MY COMMENT:  English teachers are notorious for turning their students' compositions into "bloody rags" through the generous use of red ink to circle & cross out mistakes, make comments, include "helpful" suggestions *, and more. This "fascinating new study" would seem to suggest that I contributed to many of my students' brain power in ways that transcended the mere teaching of composition.
      For what it's worth, I subscribe to this method & use it myself in all manner of ways:  on to-do lists, calendars, flyers, etc.
* I can neither confirm nor deny reckless accusations that some suggestions may have appeared to the thin-skinned as acerbic & sarcastic.