Yes ladies and gentleman, the Ontario television cliche is true - depression hurts.
It hurts the people suffering from the illness (mentally, physically, and emotionally), it hurts the family members, partners, and friends who know people suffering from depression, it hurts the loved ones of friends suffering from depression, it hurts the employers of people suffering from depression (if they are ballsy enough to hire someone with depression), it hurts society on the whole, and I'm talking the world here.
Who the hell has time for this illness, when it cuts down on social time, productivity, and basic daily functioning. We live in a fast paced world, there isn't time for shit like this.... There's too much to DO DO DO!
One (non-depressed person) may think - suck it up, get on with it already. And to this I say, unless you've been through it, you don't know, so keep your misguided advice to yourself. This is a chemical thing people - so a little support, compassion and kindness would be appreciated, thank you very much. I know, I know.... easier said than done.
Are you uncomfortable with someone's depression? Let me reassure you, your feelings of unease don't hold a candle to what a 'Depressed' person is feeling. Not even close. You can't imagine how bad it is until you experience it. I've been on that side of the fence before, but now I'm on this one - and let me tell you - it blows!
I get it. It's hard, it's confusing and it doesn't make 'sense'. But try, really try, to put yourself in the position of a Depressed person. Try to think about what it would feel like to have your basic daily functioning taken from you, and not by your own choice! Think about how fucking scared you would be. Think about the isolation, the confusion, the regret, the self-judgment, the self-loathing, the complete lack of self-worth.... Hell, think about basic survival! Do you hate yourself yet? Because if you don't - you don't understand.
How is a 'Depressed' person supposed to survive in this day and age?
Try - try really hard to feel with your heart. Don't feel sorry for the 'Depressed' person (that just adds to all the shit of it all). Try to imagine your life without all your basic functioning. How do you feel? Pretty shitty? Now multiply that by 1000. That's what it feels like to be Depressed - that's how awful it feels.
Now I'm going to take it a step further. Add the stereotype of a person needing 'drugs'.... Feeling better yet? Getting any good advice from people, with your best interests in mind, that only make you feel worse? Anyone telling you that you are a victim of the pharmaceutical industry? That you are part of the 'problem'?
What about now, are you feeling any better?
Welcome to the world of Depression. It ain't pretty but it's real, and it's happening to 121 million people world wide (and that was in 2007). According to the WHO, the 2020 projection for depression is expected to reach 2nd place in the ranking of DALYs calculated for all ages, both sexes. (DALYs = Disability Adjusted Life Years. The sum of years of potential life lost due to premature mortality and the years of productive life lost due to disability.) Scared yet? I know I am.
This is an epidemic people. It's real and it isn't going anywhere.... It's messy, it's hurtful, it's frustrating, and it's confusing. It's a cancer and it's spreading. No condom is going to stop this puppy from attaching to your friends, your family, your loved ones, and your co-workers. It's real and it kills (and oh the shock of it all when it does). What? How did that happen? Can you believe it?
Am I pissed? Yes I am, because I am one of the unfortunate souls that has been plagued with this particular illness.... I'm working really hard to understand it, to be present with it, to be mindful around it, and it continually kicks my ass. Fuck depression and fuck the world for not having a place for me to be what I am.... which is a person suffering from Depression. Am I angry? Hells ya I am!!!!!
*end of rant*
*delayed exhale*
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