A Rant.
I was going to do this big post about how I've seen mental illness depicted in media lately and how one particular comedian infuriated me to the point of nonverbal rage... but... this is what I'm going to do instead.
1. It doesn't matter how old you are. Depression can hit you at any age, at any time. And when it does, it is a valid medical condition, for which you should receive treatment and understanding from employers, coworkers, family and friends.
2. Depression is NOT just feeling sad all the time. Johnny feels a little sad when Tara takes his toy. Depression is feeling awful, every minute of every die, hating yourself so much that you want to die. I said it. You want to die. It has nothing to do with selfishness. You just want that pain to stop. I've sort of gotten to the point where I want to strangle people who use the phrase, "Man, I'm so depressed" lightly. I didn't start out this way. It's only when I've spent years trying to explain my condition only to hear, "well, everyone has bad days", that it makes me feel like it's maybe detrimental to getting depression recognized for how serious it is.
3. If someone around you tells you that they think that they might need help... PLEASE take them seriously. My brother rolled his eyes at his girlfriend when she told him that she was considering going back on her meds and I wanted to shoot him. It's SERIOUS. It's REAL. People with a valid diagnosis DO NOT LIE about how bad things are -- well, I do. I make it out to be better than it is. Never once have I exaggerated the pain, both physically and mentally. I have lain awake at night contemplating how best to hang myself from a closet door.
So... STFU, everyone who takes this disease lightly. Or thinks that people make it up or should just learn how to cope better.
...Whew. I feel better.
1. It doesn't matter how old you are. Depression can hit you at any age, at any time. And when it does, it is a valid medical condition, for which you should receive treatment and understanding from employers, coworkers, family and friends.
2. Depression is NOT just feeling sad all the time. Johnny feels a little sad when Tara takes his toy. Depression is feeling awful, every minute of every die, hating yourself so much that you want to die. I said it. You want to die. It has nothing to do with selfishness. You just want that pain to stop. I've sort of gotten to the point where I want to strangle people who use the phrase, "Man, I'm so depressed" lightly. I didn't start out this way. It's only when I've spent years trying to explain my condition only to hear, "well, everyone has bad days", that it makes me feel like it's maybe detrimental to getting depression recognized for how serious it is.
3. If someone around you tells you that they think that they might need help... PLEASE take them seriously. My brother rolled his eyes at his girlfriend when she told him that she was considering going back on her meds and I wanted to shoot him. It's SERIOUS. It's REAL. People with a valid diagnosis DO NOT LIE about how bad things are -- well, I do. I make it out to be better than it is. Never once have I exaggerated the pain, both physically and mentally. I have lain awake at night contemplating how best to hang myself from a closet door.
So... STFU, everyone who takes this disease lightly. Or thinks that people make it up or should just learn how to cope better.
...Whew. I feel better.