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Some of you saw last week the thing with that weirdo mocking me for having depression. He posted screen caps of me making jokes about it from 9 and 10 years ago. His attack was a failure and he just ended up looking bad, so he deleted it. 1/
He didn’t even find tweets of me talking about my real experiences. But I’m not ashamed & never had been, so I thought I’d would share in case you’re interested. I already went into detail about how he should know better, so I won’t repeat myself on that. /2
I don’t think anyone should be ashamed of mental illness and hearing other people’s experiences has meant a lot to me over recent years. I appreciate and applaud those who have taken steps to destigmatize it. /3
The first thing to know is that depression isn’t your or anybody’s fault. Its not a shortcoming. It’s not a weakness. It’s a chemical imbalance. /4
The second thing to remember is that depression is a liar. It tells you you are not good enough. Some of the best artists/musicians/comedians/authors/thinkers have lived with depression tell them the same thing it tells you. And it was clearly lying to them. As it lies to you. /5
I had it as a teenager, but didn’t really identify it as a thing. Then it really took off for me in my 20s. I had the perfect life: good jobs, great wife, perfect family, so it wasn’t triggered by an outside force in my personal experience. /6
Sometimes it was really bad episodes that got so bad that I was suicidal (at that time I was believing depression’s lies). Most times it has been an ever present feeling of melancholy that worsened by the season. /7
Most people I know who have seasonal affective disorder, experience it in the dark and cold of winter. But I get it in the spring and summer. That doesn’t make sense. Depression doesn’t make sense. /8
I’ve used medications off and on. For depression, anxiety, and ADHD. None have worked wonders, most have worked some - until they don’t. Exercise and eating well work pretty well for me but that’s also the most difficult treatment for me. /9
Focusing on my personal artwork (showing in galleries, doing art shows to sell my to my work, making zines and books) has worked very well for me. Having goals to plan for, focus on, and achieve has helped me avoid serious episodes. /10
Most of my favorite artists (every kind of art) live or lived with mental illness. And I’ve noticed most of my friends in this life (the people I have chosen to surround myself with) do as well. /11
I don’t believe being depressed = good art. That can be a dangerous idea to promote. But I do think being a great artist requires a certain level of sensitivity and people with depression tend to also be quite sensitive. /12
So I’m not ashamed if I have something in common with the greatest artists ever. Am I supposed to feel ashamed that I have the same feelings and thoughts as Ian Curtis or Scott Hutchinson or Gary Gulman - some of the coolest dudes ever? Nah. That’s not an insult. /13
Anyway, I guess that’s all. Don’t feel bad if you have the depresh or if you take meds to control it. Talk to friends and loved ones if it gets bad. Anybody who’d use it to insult you is not worth your time and are probably compensating for something. /14
And if you don’t have it, I would urge you to be the kind of person who your friends to trust you if they have it. If you’re an asshole about that kind of thing and you have a loved one who needs to talk, they won’t come to you. /fin
