(no subject)
Jul. 7th, 2003 07:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
katallisonIt is useful to have lived long enough to glean some time-tested nuggets of life wisdom. Such as:
--You are going to get depressed sometimes, for no apparent reason, with no apparent cause.
--You can flog yourself into energetic anti-depression measures, viz., going to the gym and working out, but really, it's kind of like vitamin C and the common cold; take it and it'll be over in seven days, don't take it and it'll last a week. Avoidance measures, such as eating corn chips and rereading good slash, are just as likely or unlikely to restore decent mood.
--You should probably, however, avoid going out and mingling with the mass of humanity, because that will only leave you feeling that one of those apocalyptic species-annihilating plagues would not be all that bad a thing.
--Do not hit the booze unless you're fairly sure you can deal with the hangover come morning.
--Retail therapy should also be avoided; the hangover there comes much later, when the Visa bill arrives, but lasts much longer.
--Do not examine any part of your body in the mirror. In fact, avoid mirrors entirely for the duration.
--Do not beat yourself up about the dirty dishes. There are always dirty dishes. They do not symbolize your basic lack of human worth, your inability to manage any aspect of life, the inexorable laws of entropy and inevitable heat death of the universe, or anything else large or small. They're just dishes. You'll wash them at some point.
--Dumb comedy was made for occasions like this. Beavis and Butthead-level dumb. Practice saying "uh, huh huh huh" along with the guys. Alternatively, put on loud dumb music and dance like a dork. (Close the blinds first, for godsake.)
--Go out on the back deck and look up at the clouds for a while. Breathe. It can't hurt to repeat a few times, inwardly, Sometimes I go around feeling sorry for myself, and all the time a great wind is carrying me across the sky.
--Go to bed. The sun will rise tomorrow, and so will you.
--You are going to get depressed sometimes, for no apparent reason, with no apparent cause.
--You can flog yourself into energetic anti-depression measures, viz., going to the gym and working out, but really, it's kind of like vitamin C and the common cold; take it and it'll be over in seven days, don't take it and it'll last a week. Avoidance measures, such as eating corn chips and rereading good slash, are just as likely or unlikely to restore decent mood.
--You should probably, however, avoid going out and mingling with the mass of humanity, because that will only leave you feeling that one of those apocalyptic species-annihilating plagues would not be all that bad a thing.
--Do not hit the booze unless you're fairly sure you can deal with the hangover come morning.
--Retail therapy should also be avoided; the hangover there comes much later, when the Visa bill arrives, but lasts much longer.
--Do not examine any part of your body in the mirror. In fact, avoid mirrors entirely for the duration.
--Do not beat yourself up about the dirty dishes. There are always dirty dishes. They do not symbolize your basic lack of human worth, your inability to manage any aspect of life, the inexorable laws of entropy and inevitable heat death of the universe, or anything else large or small. They're just dishes. You'll wash them at some point.
--Dumb comedy was made for occasions like this. Beavis and Butthead-level dumb. Practice saying "uh, huh huh huh" along with the guys. Alternatively, put on loud dumb music and dance like a dork. (Close the blinds first, for godsake.)
--Go out on the back deck and look up at the clouds for a while. Breathe. It can't hurt to repeat a few times, inwardly, Sometimes I go around feeling sorry for myself, and all the time a great wind is carrying me across the sky.
--Go to bed. The sun will rise tomorrow, and so will you.
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(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-07 05:53 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-07 05:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-07 06:00 pm (UTC)p.s. Love ya, gal.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-07 06:10 pm (UTC)They're just dishes. You'll wash them at some point.
This one cracks me up because EXACTLY. *g* But I so know where you're coming from. That's one of the things about depression that pisses me off the most: the way it magnifies and amplifies and distorts the most trivial everyday things so they can play a role in the psychological drama called My Depression, or Why Aral Sucks. *g*
(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-07 06:23 pm (UTC)Ah, the wonder of friendsfriends at 2:30 in the morning, eh? ;)
Wandered in from someone's link...
Date: 2003-07-07 07:01 pm (UTC)And, having dealt with depression on and off for more years than I care to think about, I completely agree. Good advice. Sure, along with the St. Johns Wort (what I can afford) or the SAM-E (what works but is expensive). But the hardline is, it all comes down to me, my attitude, because it's my illness and sometimes I just have to cope.
Glad I read this.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-07 07:19 pm (UTC)Excellently put as always.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-07 09:37 pm (UTC)Have to say ... those are GREAT nuggets! I should try to remember them. LOL
(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-07 07:21 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-07 07:49 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-07 07:24 pm (UTC)Thanks.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-07 07:54 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-07 08:45 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-07 08:45 pm (UTC)*closes blinds, prepares to dance enthusiastically to songvids on infinite loop*
(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-07 08:48 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-07 09:48 pm (UTC)Yes, I know these things, but sometimes it's hardest to remind ourselves of them when we need to the most.
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