Julia, if you mind my posting this. i can remove it :)
julia wrote me this a month or so ago... thought i'd open it up for discussion
i'll write a response soon, just wanted to get it out there for now but busy at work
"Someone wrote on LJ recently that some people's whole life work is art
created on the edge of recovery or happiness. Filled with
self-loathing, contempt, depression, and anger, they see what they're
like, know who they really are; they talk about pulling out of it, most
of the themes of their works are about trying to pull out of it, but
this goes on for lifetimes. This is scary because I don't want to be
one of those people on the edge, never quite making their lives better.
It's sad too because I want everyone to pull out of that feeling, but in
reality I guess for some people it's who they are. I'd like to think
more on that. Are people inherently depressive and if so is it
practical or helpful to want them to get better?"
julia wrote me this a month or so ago... thought i'd open it up for discussion
i'll write a response soon, just wanted to get it out there for now but busy at work
"Someone wrote on LJ recently that some people's whole life work is art
created on the edge of recovery or happiness. Filled with
self-loathing, contempt, depression, and anger, they see what they're
like, know who they really are; they talk about pulling out of it, most
of the themes of their works are about trying to pull out of it, but
this goes on for lifetimes. This is scary because I don't want to be
one of those people on the edge, never quite making their lives better.
It's sad too because I want everyone to pull out of that feeling, but in
reality I guess for some people it's who they are. I'd like to think
more on that. Are people inherently depressive and if so is it
practical or helpful to want them to get better?"
posted by:
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SF Bay Area
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Unsu...
Re: on depression
Thu, October 28, 2004 - 11:51 AMnot that i have the right to answer this,but i will anyway.
people are afraid to truly be happy in themselves...afraid of the responsibility and of all the people who they can see who are miserable.
all you can do to help someone in this position is motivate them-they are the only one who can really help themselves and they won't do it unless they see someone else truly being their self and being unafraid to just be. then they begin to wonder..
'if s/he can be happy and is unafraid to be herself,whats stopping me?'
then they realize that it is themselves and no one else, although at first it is common to blame unhappiness on another being (if only so and so would do this or that, THEN i could be happy)
it does take effort and is not always the easiest thing to do (obvoisly)(sp) but once you start making it your practice, it only becomes easier to see joy in small things and large things alike.
and so that was my un-orthodox contribution to the discussion.
i told you i would jump in at the right time heather :)
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Re: on depression
Thu, October 28, 2004 - 4:28 PMDon't mind at all. It's a question to the universe of course!
My current thoughts on this are that there are people who are inherintly depressive. It's a type of personality. And though there are happy drugs that could make a difference these people are not only depressed but depression has defined their lives up to now. They don't know how to be happy and it might freak them out if they are. People are comfortable with what they know, so I don't think it's helpful to try and cheer these people up. I guess I always want to be a good friend, but I've realised that getting sucked into these people is never something I like. It makes me depressed dammit. And I think one of the things I've promised myself (just recently mind you) is that I will be happy in this life. I will work on my depressive tendencies because nothing productive comes of them for me. I like who I am when I'm not depressed and so here I am. -
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Re: on depression
Thu, October 28, 2004 - 5:12 PMHm. I hear you.. and i understand..
but, the thing is..people who are naturally depressed. and comfortable with it..
don't they usually still not *want* to be?
does one decide that because it's familiar and such a part of them, one should leave it alone ...despite the fact that everything in them wants to be feeling some other way?
i do believe in fatalsim when necessary... but at what point do you decide that?
i've known so many people who were depressed by nature. as children, as young adults, as adults... and it even was a creative impetus for them.
but, they...like many people... wanted to be happier. -
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Re: on depression
Fri, October 29, 2004 - 10:32 AMI guess they *want* to be happier. But that in itself is a symptom of the disorder. I don't know, I guess there is another distinction I want to understand between those people who experience depression and those who are depressive people. I think those who *truly* want to change are experiencing depression. There is some other way of being they know is better and they're tyring to get to it. Those who lead a depressive lifestyle and mind set, those who bitch about wanting to be happier, but then doing nothing about it, those people are depressive by nature. But then there's the whole chemical process, and genetics, and how many people actually have the *choice* to change this type of stuff.
Dunno.
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