I don’t know that I can categorize every thing that boosts my level of happiness.

There are many things that I enjoy. If I am seeking pleasure, relaxation or pure joy; does that mean I am unhappy?

Let’s say I want to avoid something that makes me sad, anxious, irritable, angry or stressed. All of the feelings I listed are symptoms of an underlying issue. But, does that mean I am unhappy?

Depression can cause or be triggered by events and trauma. It can also be genetic. Does depression mean that I am unhappy??

So here’s where I am going with this. Most of my family; oops I should all of my family have mental illnesses. We are all what is commonly called non-neurotypical.

It is safe to say that I have had trauma from growing up in an environment where one or more family members seemed to be angry over small things.

The traumatic experiences that I had when I still lived at home, caused me to feel lonely and fearful. I was 10 when I first had symptoms of major deppression. At 56 I still have major deppression but it is controlled by medication and coping skills.

In spite of my mental illness and living with a bunch of people who had severe mental illness and their own trauma. I was usually happy.

If you want to be happy do this: put on a smile -yes it ‘s fake but it is really difficult to be unhappy when there’s a smile on your face.

What comes to mind now is the movie “The Sound of Music”. Maria was banished from the convent and became a nanny for an unhappy family. Over time however Maria’s constant cheerfulness caused the family to change,

So in real life now, I have a verbal processing disorder; major deppression; chronic and debilitating pain which is the result of trauma. Still, I am strong and incredibly stubborn. There is no need to suppress my happiness.

I believe in most situations happiness is a choice. I choose happy.