yup when you are trying to live your regular life while depression episodes are not triggering / are not as effective people stat to doubt you have anything at all. as if they are saying “because you pretend to have depression you’re not allowed to be happy at all because otherwise you are a hypocrite ….. for hell’s sake …
thanks for posting
This one was so important to me. A lot of people give me guff for the way I dress, neglecting to realize while they’re eyeing my outfit they’re not noticing my expression or shaking hands.
Many forget some habits are so ingrained you do them without thinking.
Needed help – intake nurse commented on my grooming, dress, etc. Basic idea was I was full of equine droppings.
Shut up real fast when I said “retired military and after years of getting haircuts on a schedule, shaving even on days off, and so forth you do those things without a second thought, especially if you have a job.”
I have anxiety, so I’m *clearly* just exaggerating when I say I’m paranoid /s
Nah bruh. Anxiety is when you’re worried you’ll bomb the interview. I’m worried about driving a route I’m not comfortable with in order to surround myself with people I don’t trust in a place I don’t feel safe.
It’s far more fun to be happy, so why would anyone pretend to suffer from depression? Do these naysayers even think of that? Their accusations make no sense.
The same is true for any mental illness, or anything that society stigmatizes, e.g. being LGBTQ. Obviously it isn’t a choice. One might as readily claim that being autistic is a choice.
People are dumb like that though. They think that you have to be down all the time, constantly… without let or respite.
But it’s not like that – you very often do get moments of levity and sparkle… and they make the depression SO much worse because you have a comparison.
If all you have is depression then that’s just LIFE….. the “norm”.
If all you have is darkness then darkness is just “life”… the rare moments of brightness serve to make the darkness worse.
What a great representation of the general misconception around depression. Besides the fact that there are some days better than others, people doesn’t understand that when you suffer from depression you get desesperate about being o.k. so you’re always trying to feel and look better. In the majority of the ocations we become great actors pretending nothing is wrong, but the simple fact that even the things you usually enjoy ask so much effort from you is a symptom that things are not that well. Hence, it looks like people take that effort as a tool to invalidate depression at all. It is like asking anybody with a fisical and evident illness or disease to cry and shout constantly just to convence us of the severity of its suffering.
This hit pretty close to home. It sucks being essentially shamed for trying to do normal things that people complained that I never do anymore in the first place. Why even bother?
Depression is a nasty old ugly backpack. It still works and but you have had so long that letting go is like throwing away part of yourself. It’s been with you for years, it was there when you’re mom died, when you wasted 2 years of you’re life on a scumbag ex, and it was even there when you lost you’re virginity. You can stuff everything in and zip it up. But it only mixs everything together and makes a huge fucking mess that you end up ignoring, till you need to use it.
I feel this so much. If I do my hair, even though they’ve told me to do it a million times, they’ll mock me for finally doing it or say I’ve done it for nothing. If I go cook an actual meal, they’ll mock me for it. If I go out, they mock me for having come out of my “cave”. Like, how do I feel good about my progress when it always seems to be undermined? Just makes you wonder why you try, at all.
yup when you are trying to live your regular life while depression episodes are not triggering / are not as effective people stat to doubt you have anything at all. as if they are saying “because you pretend to have depression you’re not allowed to be happy at all because otherwise you are a hypocrite ….. for hell’s sake …
thanks for posting
This one was so important to me. A lot of people give me guff for the way I dress, neglecting to realize while they’re eyeing my outfit they’re not noticing my expression or shaking hands.
From your profile picture it looks like you dress amazingly !! Some like to break others down rather than lift them up! I say UP UP UP!!
nice to see Robin again
Many forget some habits are so ingrained you do them without thinking.
Needed help – intake nurse commented on my grooming, dress, etc. Basic idea was I was full of equine droppings.
Shut up real fast when I said “retired military and after years of getting haircuts on a schedule, shaving even on days off, and so forth you do those things without a second thought, especially if you have a job.”
I have anxiety, so I’m *clearly* just exaggerating when I say I’m paranoid /s
Nah bruh. Anxiety is when you’re worried you’ll bomb the interview. I’m worried about driving a route I’m not comfortable with in order to surround myself with people I don’t trust in a place I don’t feel safe.
NAILED IT !!!
Oh God, this one hit wayyyyy to close to home. Brilliant.
Amen
It’s far more fun to be happy, so why would anyone pretend to suffer from depression? Do these naysayers even think of that? Their accusations make no sense.
Robin looks very nice when dressed up. Great artwork. As for the text, nailed it again.
The same is true for any mental illness, or anything that society stigmatizes, e.g. being LGBTQ. Obviously it isn’t a choice. One might as readily claim that being autistic is a choice.
Tatjana Berg
I relate to this so much. I always feel as though I’m not allowed to do “normal” things because I’ll be accused of faking it.
I’m proud of all the progress Robin has made tho, she seems to be in a much better place.
People are dumb like that though. They think that you have to be down all the time, constantly… without let or respite.
But it’s not like that – you very often do get moments of levity and sparkle… and they make the depression SO much worse because you have a comparison.
If all you have is depression then that’s just LIFE….. the “norm”.
If all you have is darkness then darkness is just “life”… the rare moments of brightness serve to make the darkness worse.
NOOO!!! this is too close to home.
What a great representation of the general misconception around depression. Besides the fact that there are some days better than others, people doesn’t understand that when you suffer from depression you get desesperate about being o.k. so you’re always trying to feel and look better. In the majority of the ocations we become great actors pretending nothing is wrong, but the simple fact that even the things you usually enjoy ask so much effort from you is a symptom that things are not that well. Hence, it looks like people take that effort as a tool to invalidate depression at all. It is like asking anybody with a fisical and evident illness or disease to cry and shout constantly just to convence us of the severity of its suffering.
This hit pretty close to home. It sucks being essentially shamed for trying to do normal things that people complained that I never do anymore in the first place. Why even bother?
Depression is a nasty old ugly backpack. It still works and but you have had so long that letting go is like throwing away part of yourself. It’s been with you for years, it was there when you’re mom died, when you wasted 2 years of you’re life on a scumbag ex, and it was even there when you lost you’re virginity. You can stuff everything in and zip it up. But it only mixs everything together and makes a huge fucking mess that you end up ignoring, till you need to use it.
also it’s filled with bricks
Bad analogy; you can shed a backpack if you break the habit of using it, but you can’t just let go of depression.
Its my analogy. I wish I could let it go. This is how it feels to me. I’m sorry you can not see my unique version
I feel kinda stupid. How did I not know this page was here? I love Clay’s work. Seems we often feel the same feels.
Thank you for the kind words!
Much love. I hope you are well, and that you’re keeping the black dog at bay.
I know you can relate too Melanie
I didn’t know there were depression comix. Right on.
This gave me such bad chest pains from being so god damn relatable
So True it hurts to read!
I feel this so much. If I do my hair, even though they’ve told me to do it a million times, they’ll mock me for finally doing it or say I’ve done it for nothing. If I go cook an actual meal, they’ll mock me for it. If I go out, they mock me for having come out of my “cave”. Like, how do I feel good about my progress when it always seems to be undermined? Just makes you wonder why you try, at all.