It descends on you like a cloud; or that killer mist from Mount Weather in The 100. You don’t even see it coming. It creeps up on you so slowly, you’re completely unaware it’s even on its way at first; but eventually it arrives. And suddenly you’re drowning in it, gasping for air, but too exhausted to wave your arms about in the hope that someone can rescue you. And then you’re wondering if you even want to catch your breath. Maybe it would just be easier to drown.
Depression. Statistics say it’s more prevalent than obesity. But it’s an invisible killer. You can see fat people; but it’s hard to pick out the truly sad ones, those who are one wave crash away from drowning. We hide it well you see, because that’s what you do. If I was bald from chemo or had a gimpy leg we could discuss it. If it was diabetes or epilepsy, I could at least bring it up. But not the “D” word, no. That doesn’t even make it to the tip of your tongue.
And why, if it’s so goddamn prevalent? Maybe if we all talked to each other about it, it wouldn’t be so bad. But instead we’re all so busy pretending to be ok that it’s eating away at our souls, one conveniently packaged treat-sized bite at a time.
This morning started well. A lazy Sunday was in store. The weather was a bit bleak but Joburg winters generally call for snuggling under the covers. I had TV shows to watch, wedding invitations to assemble, scarves to knit, blog posts to write; I never saw it coming. But two invitations in, watching the very show that inspired our entire wedding theme; and I felt my hand hovering over the self-destruct button. I swiftly retreated to the safety of my bunker (laptop, in bed) and disappeared into Scandal. But I felt it weighing more heavily by the second.
Husby came in to check if I was ok. I could only shake my head in answer. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Nothing”, I replied. Because that’s the brutal truth of it: nothing is wrong. I have countless reasons to be happy. I’m getting married in four months for fuck sake. I live in a beautiful house in a beautiful country and I have beautiful friends. I have TV to watch, scarves to knit, blog posts to type; and yet I want to kill myself. If there was a button on the table that could end it all, I would have pushed it long ago. And the worst part is, I have no idea why.
The brain is a complicated organ (or is it a muscle?) It has been studied from every vantage point imaginable; but still so much about it is unknown. At the moment I am going for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), a therapy designed to enable the brain to heal itself by reprogramming how you react to certain stimuli. A progress report will follow, but so far all it’s done is make me cry a lot, and remember things I worked very hard to forget.
Among friends and family (and increasingly, work colleagues), I have a reputation for being over-sensitive, for over-analysing and for caring too much. Is this just a way of saying that it’s my fault? If I could learn to care less, “live in the moment” instead of the past or future, then I wouldn’t be depressed. But… feeling things deeply is who I am. Getting invested in my emotions, heart and soul, for better or worse, is who I am. So is depression who I am?
All I know for sure is, the next person who tells me to “snap out of it” or “think of all the things I have to be happy about”, is coming with me when I push that button!
whatshesaid.gm 