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Understanding depression
8 years ago
It's apparently difficult, as I've seen in some recent comments on depressed people's journals and have met myself from time to time.
I think the funniest example of a complete lack of understanding of depression is this one song I keep hearing over and over at one workplace. I work, among other places, in a department store which streams unreleased songs day in and day out over the PA system.
One of the songs is some kind of ballad directed at a person who from the narrator's description appears to suffer from a depression. The song is probably meant to be supportive of this person and their struggle, but the utter lack of understanding of what a depression means, coupled with the whining and plaintive tone of the singer - which I guess is meant to affect sympathy - makes it sound like they are just impatient with the depressed person and wants them to stop being so... well, depressive.
The first line of the refrain really sums the song up, both in terms of the amount of actual support it gives as well as to the attitude toward depression:
If you just liked yourself, so many things would get better
It just begs for a sarcastic "wow, I had never thought of that!"
A lot of people get very annoyed at depressed people because depressed people are, well, depressive, and they don't understand the mechanics of the disease, or even that it is a disease to begin with.
I can understand that, the concept of a disease that affects your thoughts is both extremely alien and frightening. It invokes the very real and justified fear that the disease can be transmitted to yourself.
And that's sad.
As for that song, about two thirds into it I would like to insert the line "have you tried drinking a glass of warm milk before going to bed" just to make it even less helpful and push it across the line into satire. Sarcasm is the mind's natural defense against idiocy after all. :)
I think the funniest example of a complete lack of understanding of depression is this one song I keep hearing over and over at one workplace. I work, among other places, in a department store which streams unreleased songs day in and day out over the PA system.
One of the songs is some kind of ballad directed at a person who from the narrator's description appears to suffer from a depression. The song is probably meant to be supportive of this person and their struggle, but the utter lack of understanding of what a depression means, coupled with the whining and plaintive tone of the singer - which I guess is meant to affect sympathy - makes it sound like they are just impatient with the depressed person and wants them to stop being so... well, depressive.
The first line of the refrain really sums the song up, both in terms of the amount of actual support it gives as well as to the attitude toward depression:
If you just liked yourself, so many things would get better
It just begs for a sarcastic "wow, I had never thought of that!"
A lot of people get very annoyed at depressed people because depressed people are, well, depressive, and they don't understand the mechanics of the disease, or even that it is a disease to begin with.
I can understand that, the concept of a disease that affects your thoughts is both extremely alien and frightening. It invokes the very real and justified fear that the disease can be transmitted to yourself.
And that's sad.
As for that song, about two thirds into it I would like to insert the line "have you tried drinking a glass of warm milk before going to bed" just to make it even less helpful and push it across the line into satire. Sarcasm is the mind's natural defense against idiocy after all. :)
I HAVE BEEN TOLD SO MANY TIMES A GLASS OF WARM MILK HELPS AGAINST ALMOST ANYTHING!
IT'S SUPER COOL BIG PHARMA HASN'T PATENTED THE FORMULA YET. :D
[ /sarcasm mode ]
Sigh.
I know when I'm productive it's easier to stay that way, but when I fall into a slump, like when I can't figure out how to do my story... It hits me hard if it goes on for too long. Plus if I find a plot hole or a logical fallacy... I'm a perfectionist. Everything must make sense, be dramatically exciting, and it must wow me. If a bad guy does something for reasons a logical person wouldn't.... I need to fix it. I can't have mustache twirlers, they need to be real people with real motivations.
Right. I have food on the table, a roof over my head and a job. That doesn't mean that it's easy. Or that I "shouldn't be depressed". If I could stop it, I would. It's really not that easy as flipping a switch and suddenly being well again.