You Are Not Alone…

Earlier this week, Raul Pacheco, a friend from Twitter, wrote a brilliant post about depression on his Blog, prompted by the children of Marie Osmond and Walter Koenig committing suicide… relating it to his own fight with depression, and the need to remove stigma from the issues of Mental Health.

Reading his post, gave me motivation to write this post, about my song, You Are Not Alone, and the reasons I had for writing it.

In the time since I wrote this song, I realized that the issues of Disordered Eating, stigma and silence, also apply to those suffering from mental illnesses… “You are not alone, I stand by your side, with so many others, who hide, as you hide.”

I also decided that any money this song makes would go to supporting Eating Disorder charities.

Regardless, I hoped it would serve as an inspiration and reminder that many issues that seem so large and insurmountable, are more easily faced with a friend… if a discussion can just begin.

I will also, in an upcoming post, talk about my own battle with depression.

I was inspired to write the song, when I met the man who founded the group Parents Awareness of Eating Disorders.  (Which, sadly, has since dissolved.)

When I met him, he had his daughter with him… and she was back to a pattern of eating normally, after suffering from an Eating Disorder.  He spoke passionately and openly, about how helpless he had felt, and how lucky he was that his daughter had been strong enough to come to him, and tell him what was happening.  Together they had found a path back for her…  but he knew that many others were not as strong, and as a result, not all had happy endings to their stories.

I tried to take those feelings, and write a song of support and encouragement.

It is a song about the view many people with Eating Disorders have… that they are alone, and isolated.  That no one knows what they are going through, or what they are feeling.   I wrote this song to remind them that others also have the same feelings and issues, and to create an awareness of the support and community that are available to help them, if they can just reach out.

The lyrics for this song were kindly posted by Isabella Mori, on her Blog, for Eating Disorders Awareness Week, in early February.

You Are Not Alone

Music & Lyrics By Bob Gray   © October 22, 2003

 There is a light, beyond the darkness

There is pain, inside us all.

Sometimes we trip, on the roads we travel

As we reach up, sometimes we fall

And though sometimes, I know you’re lonely

With all my heart, I need you to know… 

Chorus:

You are not alone…  I stand by your side.

With so many others, who hide, as you hide.

With all my heart, I hope you will hear me

You are not alone…  You are not alone…

 

There is a peace, that you can get to

It will be hard, but you’ll be fine.

I’ll walk with you, in case you stumble

Reach out your hand, I’ll give you mine

And though sometimes, you may be frightened

With all my heart, I want you to know…

Repeat Chorus:

 Bridge:  

But, beyond the hurt…  Beyond frustration…

Beyond the mountains, we all must climb

There is the dawn, of a new tomorrow

The dawn of hope… I hope we find…

 Repeat Chorus: