Depression does not always mean
Beautiful girls shattering at the wrists
A glorified, heroic battle for your sanity
Or mothers that never got the chance to say good-byeSometimes depression means
Not getting out of bed for three days
Because your feet refuse to believe
That they will not shatter upon impact with the floorSometimes depression means
That summoning the willpower
To go downstairs and do the laundry
Is the most impressive thing you accomplish that weekSometimes depression means
Lying on the floor staring at the ceiling for hours
Because you cannot convince your body
That it is capable of movementSometimes depression means
Not being able to write for weeks
Because the only words you have to offer the world
Are trapped and drowning and I swear to God I’m tryingSometimes depression means
That every single bone in your body aches
But you have to keep going through the motions
Because you are not allowed to call in to work depressedSometimes depression means
Ignoring every phone call for an entire month
Because yes, they have the right number
But you’re not the person they’re looking for, not anymore
by “Alexandra” Tilton, NH (Teen Ink: November 2013 Issue)
This is so sad
(via xwhatever-nevermindx)
Unfortunately accurate.
(via elementalsight)
Robin Williams didn’t die from suicide. I only just heard the sad, sad news of Robin Williams’s death. My wife sent me a message to tell me he had died, and, when I asked her what he died from, she told me something that nobody in the news seems to be talking about.
When people die from cancer, their cause of death can be various horrible things – seizure, stroke, pneumonia – and when someone dies after battling cancer, and people ask “How did they die?”, you never hear anyone say “pulmonary embolism”, the answer is always “cancer”. A Pulmonary Embolism can be the final cause of death with some cancers, but when a friend of mine died from cancer, he died from cancer. That was it. And when I asked my wife what Robin Williams died from, she, very wisely, replied “Depression”.
The word “suicide” gives many people the impression that “it was his own decision,” or “he chose to die, whereas most people with cancer fight to live.” And, because Depression is still such a misunderstood condition, you can hardly blame people for not really understanding. Just a quick search on Twitter will show how many people have little sympathy for those who commit suicide…
But, just as a Pulmonary Embolism is a fatal symptom of cancer, suicide is a fatal symptom of Depression. Depression is an illness, not a choice of lifestyle. You can’t just “cheer up” with depression, just as you can’t choose not to have cancer. When someone commits suicide as a result of Depression, they die from Depression – an illness that kills millions each year. It is hard to know exactly how many people actually die from Depression each year because the figures and statistics only seem to show how many people die from “suicide” each year (and you don’t necessarily have to suffer Depression to commit suicide, it’s usually just implied). But considering that one person commits suicide every 14 minutes in the US alone, we clearly need to do more to battle this illness, and the stigmas that continue to surround it. Perhaps Depression might lose some its “it was his own fault” stigma, if we start focussing on the illness, rather than the symptom. Robin Williams didn’t die from suicide. He died from Depression*. It wasn’t his choice to suffer that.
Tom Clempsom (via mollyfamous)
A few things about mental health and depression and my own life
I’m sad about Robin Williams. Doubly sad that it’s an apparent suicide. I’ve struggled with depression pretty much all my life, but i’m grateful I haven’t ever really been suicidal since I was a teen (and even then I never really wanted to die per se, if that makes sense). I’m glad I finally gave medication a try and that it seems to be working. I’m glad that I have a spouse that loves me and is willing to see me through. And that I have friends who are equally patient.
If you’re struggling, just know you aren’t alone. My ask is always open. There are resources out there. Depression doesn’t look the same on everyone, but it does whisper untruths in your ear.
This post by Wil Wheaton is one of the things I turn to when I need to remember I’m not alone, that many people, famous and not, struggle with the same thing.
So just something personal, you can skip if you want.
I’ve been struggling with depression and anxiety for a long time. And it’s only got worse over the last year or two. So I finally got myself a therapist and she recommended I try medication in addition to the therapy
So about two weeks ago I started Wellbutrin. And it’s helping a LOT. I didn’t realized how stressed and anxious I was all the time until I wasn’t. I still have worries and things, but I don’t feel so overwhelmed. I feel like I can handle things instead of hiding. I’ve had some stuff come up this week in addition to PMS and while I’m still working with it, I’m not freaking out like I might have a month ago. I’m not snapping at my spouse for no good reason. I’m actually smiling and laughing more.
I know medication isn’t for everyone, but, at least so far, this is making a helluva difference for me (and my family, by extension). If could handle a 14 hour drive (each way) and family issues and not argue once the entire time, then I know something good is going on.
So I saw my new counselor today.
I think I already like her more than any other counselor I’ve seen. She hit the nail on the head as far as some of my self-sabotage behaviors go and we discussed why I’m getting anxiety now and didn’t before and other things. She wants my first homework assignment to be going to a regular doc about depression meds. “We can definitely work on things, but it’ll be harder if we’re also fighting a chemical imbalance.”
Plus I am amused that instead of ‘keep calm and carry on,’ she had a small sign that said ‘get angry and throw things.’
I just want to thank my friends that are there for me even when my depression is kicking my ass and making me irritable and low. I know I’m not always easy to be around, but I appreciate it.
