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A while ago, I penned a fairly angry response to something circulating on the internet – the 21 Habits of Happy People. It pissed me off beyond belief, that there was an inference that if you weren’t 'Happy', you simply weren’t doing the right things.
I’ve had depression for as long as I can remember. It’s manifested in different ways. I did therapy. I did prozac. I did more therapy. My baseline is melancholic. I’d just made peace with it when I moved, unintentionally, to a place that had markedly less sunshine in the winter. I got seasonal depression. I got that under control. Then I got really, really sick. Turns out it’s a permanent, painful genetic disorder. My last pain-free day was four years ago.
So, this Cult of Happy article just set me off. Just… anger. Rage. Depression is serious – debilitating, often dangerous, and it’s got an enormous stigma. It leaves people to fend for themselves.
It’s bad enough without people ramming Happy Tips at you through facebook. There is no miracle behaviour change that will flip that switch for you. I know, I’ve tried.
A friend of mine suggested that I write something from my point of view because, surprisingly, I manage to give an outwards impression of having myself together. I was shocked to hear this. And I find this comical, but I see her point. I’m functioning. I’ve adapted. I’m surprisingly okay. I think the medical term is “resilient”.
So, here it is.
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1) Know that you’re not alone. Know that we are a silent legion, who, every day face the
solipsism and judgement of Happy People Who Think We Just Aren’t Trying. There are
people who are depressed, people who have been depressed, and people who just haven’t
been hit with it yet.
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2) Understand that the Happy People are usually acting out of some genuine (albeit
misguided) concern for you, that it’s coming from a good place, even if the advice feels
like you’re being blamed for your disease. Telling you these things makes them feel
better, even if it makes you feel terrible. (If they insist on keeping it up, see #12.)
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3) Enlist the help of a professional. See your doctor. You need to talk about the ugly stuff,
and there are people paid to listen and help you find your way to the light at the end of the
tunnel.
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4) Understand that antidepressants will only do so much. They’re useful, they’ll level you
out and give you the time you need to figure out your own path to getting well. They can
be helpful. There are lots to choose from. They may not be for you, and even if they are,
they take some time to kick in. Conversely, they may not be for you. Work with your
doctor.
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5) Pick up a paintbrush, a pencil, an activity you got joy from in the past and re-explore that.
Or, sign up for the thing you always wanted to try. There is a long history and link
between depression and creativity. It’s a bright light of this condition, so utilize it to your
best advantage.
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6) Eat nutritionally sound, regular small meals. If you’re having trouble eating, try to focus
on what you’d like to eat. I went through a whole six week episode of tomatoes and cream
cheese on a bagel twice a day. Not great, but it was something – helpful context, I’m a
recovered anorexic. Conversely, if all you want to do is scarf down crap, try to off-ramp it
by downing a V-8 and doing #9 for 15 minutes, and see how you feel. Chucking your
blood sugar all over hell’s half acre is going to make you feel worse.
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7) While you’re doing #3, get some bloodwork done. If you’re low on iron or vitamin D, or
if your hormone levels are doing the Macarena... these can all contribute to zapping your
energy or switching your mood to Bleak.
- 8) If you’re in bed and the “insomnia hamsters”, as I like to call them, are on the wheel of your head, watch Nightly Business News on PBS. This has the effect of Nyquil. Swap out your coffee for herbal tea. If you just cannot sleep, try the next tip....
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9) Learn how to meditate. Start by focusing on your breathing. Not sleep, not thoughts. In
through the nose, out through the mouth. Meditation is focusing on being present in your
body, not careening around in your brain. It may not be as good as sleep but it will give
you some rest and recharge you.
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10) Face a window as often as you can – at work, at home. Look out into the world. Watch.
Observe. Try to find something you find pretty or interesting to focus on. And, handily
remember that one in five of those people out there feel the way you do.
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11) Cry. Better out than in. Sometimes it’s not convenient or career-enhancing to cry, so find
a private place as best you can and let the tears go. Carry Kleenex and face wipes and
extra concealer if you wear makeup. You can always claim allergies.
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12) Any “friend” who resolutely believes that your depression is because you’re lazy, because
you’re not trying hard enough, who blames you for not bootstrapping out of it- that friend
needs to be cut off. Polite (#2) is one thing, but there is a limit. You don’t have to explain,
you can just not respond. You feel badly enough, you don’t need their “assistance”.
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13) Limit your time with people who drain you. You know who they are. Often you don’t
have a choice- but you can put the meter on. And, subsequently, be aware of what you’re
asking of those close to you.
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14) Everyone has stuff they’ve got to deal with. What you have been saddled with is your
stuff. Recognize, just as you’re not alone, you’re also not unique. The grass may look
greener, you may be jealous or envious of others who don’t have to deal with depression,
but you likely do not know everything that’s going on with them.
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15) Let go or be dragged. This is an old Buddhist saying. It’s a very useful way to frame
aspects of depression. Betrayal, anger, fear... letting go is a process – often a painful and
difficult process - but it’s ultimately going to show you the path out of this terrible place.
Repeating the mantra can help when you’re feeling gripped by these feelings.
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16) Wear clothes that make you feel confident. It takes as much time to put on nice clothes as
it does to put on sweatpants. You will want to wear the sweatpants. Fight the urge. The
whole “look good/feel better” campaign isn’t limited to cancer and chemotherapy. Or
women.
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17) Avoid fictional drama and tragedy like the plague. No Grey’s Anatomy, no to The
Notebook, or anything that won a Pulitzer prize. You’ve got enough going on In Real
Life. Comedy only. Or trashy stuff. Old episodes of WonderWoman? I’ve got the box set.
Mindless drivel, like the latest CGI blockbuster. Or clever, funny books. David Sedaris.
Jenny Lawson. Fiction exists to elicit emotion, and the emotion you need to express most
right now is laughter.
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18) Simple exercise, if you can. It can be something as simple as taking the stairs up a flight,
or walking around the block. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, it doesn’t have to involve
climbing a mountain or running a marathon. Baby steps.
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19) Depression will lie to you. Depression will try to tell you what others are thinking. That
you are unloved and unworthy, that others think little of you or don’t care – or even wish
you harm. You are not a psychic. Keep repeating that. “I am not a psychic”. Repeat. The
only way to know what another person is thinking is to up and ask them.
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20) If you are well and truly losing this battle, reach out to someone. I’ve been the random
friendly-but-not-close person who has fielded the occasional outreach. I like to think I’m
notjudgmental and generally resourceful, and others have thought the same, so they
called and asked. You know someone like me. And they will help you.
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21) Forgive yourself. I’m writing out all these tips, and I can’t always muster the strength to
even stick my nose outside, or walk up the stairs, or eat my vegetables. Today, I got
outside for ten minutes. I will try again tomorrow. And I will try again the day after that.
This list will not cure you. This list will not flip on the happy switch.
God, I wish it were that easy.
The theme here is to not to unknowingly sabotage yourself. All these little things? Like your blood sugar, or watching nonstop episodes of House, or endless 'Try Harder' lectures from your Perpetually Perky sister?
They all make dealing with depression just a tiny bit harder than it needs to be. And it’s hard enough, all on its own.
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