Chalk it up to it being 2 a.m. and I am wide awake or maybe it is because I am extremely emotional right now, but I am going to share, and I usual dont talk about it. Other people have said it in previous posts but Depression is a REAL illness and so encompassing. It affects your mind, body, relationships, etc. I dont fault those who have never experienced it for not understanding........they are simply stating opinions based on something they havent personally endured. I would however, wish that people start recognizing this for the very real and serious disease that it is. It robs you. It steals the light in your life, it robs you of rational thinking, it makes you ache and hurt and drains you of all energy. Yes, ultimately we can say it is a choice rather or not to continue living or commit suicide, but until you are truly at the place where you would contemplate taking your life, can you really say that it is selfish, or that is is the easy way out, or any of those other cliche sayings? When you are that desperate, that much in pain, that lonely that you feel you have no where to turn, you just want the hurt to go away, you will do anything to make it stop!!!! Everyday, I make a choice to live but it is a continual fight, an honest to goodness fight. I pray, I cry out to God, literally sometimes with tears streaming down my face, and that is how I get through it. I think of my family, my child, my husband, my mom, etc and for me, I couldnt do that to them because I would not want them to hurt or feel that pain........ but I do understand the very real and profound depths of despair that depression can take you to and how in an instant of indecisiveness, unclear thinking, and having lost all rationale, a person suffering from depression could not grasp the gift of life and in that moment make the decision they do. I value my life, I do see it as a gift, but I also know what a true MONSTER depression is. I see things posted all the time about fighting cancer, about fighting various diseases, but you dont see things up that often about fighting mental illness or depression because people are too often judged for it. You wouldnt judge someone for having cancer or any other disease beyond their control. Please dont judge someone for depression, It too is out of our control and not something that just sunlight, exercise, and moving around will automatically cure. A lot of non educated people think depression is a choice............Who would choose to feel no joy, like you are at the bottom of a well and cant see any light, and feel like you are utterly alone? If you want to be a friend and help someone the best thing you can do is lend a smile, a warm embrace and a non critical/judgmental ear, and just listen. If you believe someone is truly depressed and considering suicide, dont sit by and wait for them to get help, you reach out and seek help for them, it literally is a matter or their life or their death.
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 08:06:09 +0000