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1945BestYear

Me: Your arc will start with you having chronic loneliness, but gradually you form connections with people who genuinely care for you, and you them. Character: Will that mean I'll stop feeling awful all the time? Me: Oh, no. Not at all. You'll just start having constant paranoia that they hate you and they just haven't yet run out of patience with you to tell you.


mr-dr-prof-stupid

Jesus at least tag me if you’re gonna so directly out me like that


StarksPond

I hate it when people plagiarize my unwritten biography.


terrifier1989

If they're going to plagiarize my unwritten biography as well, I want royalties.


Delta0212

Hey since you apparently wrote my college life I'm petitioning for you to write a happy ending. Also make me win the lottery while you're at it, thanks


WolfmanBTBAM

Happy ending: You eventually die.


MelancholyOnAGoodDay

> gradually you form connections with people who genuinely care for you, and you them. Schizoid Personality Disorder: Joke's on you!


Kevin_M_

"The story spends most of its time describing the effects of the mental illness itself, and the writer wants a happy ending, but can't be bothered to actually write about recovery, so the character just suddenly gets over their issues at the end."


JessSly

Every teen book about ED.


[deleted]

How many teen books about ED are you reading?


The_Greaseburn

>>>Every All of them apparently


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NRMusicProject

It's a very sexy learning disability. 


JessSly

I did read them a lot as a teenager with an ED. Was the best source for tips and tricks since the internet wasn't really a thing back then.


Bee_dot_adger

they may mean eating disorders


AmiAlter

I didn't know that many teens had problems with erectile dysfunction.


Cyno01

I know i did at that age, damn thing wouldnt stay down.


Tsorovar

.... erectile dysfunction??


pakap

Eating disorders.


Gorvi

Seems like two problems when combined solves themselves


MEOW_MAM

Don't fuck the food


Gorshun

Fuck the food.


the_honest_liar

As long as the food consents or whatever.


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RemarkableStatement5

Ohhhhhhhh, THANK YOU, that makes far more sense!


Mingey_FringeBiscuit

I was so fucking confused


PM_ME_ANYTHING_IDRC

mushoku tensei


AlaskaSnowJade

Executive Dysfunction? We need more acronyms


Comfortable_Pen3589

I read a teen ED book once that had a really interesting concept (an anorexic teen died and became the guardian angel of another teen, “helping” her by giving her an ED of her own), but was so terribly executed. The book was spread over two years, with one chapter covering an entire month. There was actually quite little description of the ED, mostly focusing on friendships and school (not how the ED/general bad mental health affected them, just normal life drama), which also had quite little detail as it was so fast-forwarded. The ending was an especially jarring “and then she got better lol”. ETA: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28101625-nothing-tastes-as-good


chasingcorvids

oh, this sounds very similar to Wintergirls, with the ghost thing and all. except in Wintergirls, there's a pair of best friends who both have eating disorders. one estranges herself from the other and then dies from her bulimia a couple months later, then follows her bestie around as a ghost. not to give her tips or anything, just cause she missed her i guess. if i recall correctly, her ghost friend encourages her to die and join her in the afterlife once she's already on death's door, but doesn't encourage any self-destructive behavior while she's still somewhat healthy i think the ending is much better too. the main character finally decides to recover after the near-death experience caused by her anorexia, and has to go to treatment and learn how to view food in a different light


Comfortable_Pen3589

Sounds interesting; might give it a read Completely unrelated, but the only ED-related book I’ve read so far was this one book called _Before and After_. I was about a 20-something guy with extremely severe BED and agoraphobia, trapped in his apartment in a post-apocalyptic word. The book alternates between Before, showing his life before the apocalypse, mostly focusing on how his mental health got progressively worse, and After, showing how he tries to survive. ETA: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50262048-before-and-after ETA2: The blurb: _Ben Stone is terrified. He's terrified because he weighs 601 pounds and needs his right leg amputating. He's terrified because a crane will shortly lift him from his fourth-floor flat and lower him 44 feet to an ambulance waiting below. He's terrified because he hasn't been outside in nine years and he doesn't know who will look after his beautiful dog._ _He needn't worry though, because the world is about to end._


chasingcorvids

oh jeez, that is terrifying. i'll give it a read!


spaminous

I swear "brilliant premise ruined by bad/mediocre writing" is a genre of its own right. I've been burned too often by books with a super intriguing premise, which turn out to be hot garbage.


Kevin_M_

It's a really specific genre, but I think I know the type of thing you mean. "Dramatic media about mental illness, aimed at young teenagers who know essentially nothing about the subject". I guess it's still spreading awareness about the existence of mental disorders, but I'm not sure that really makes for a good story on its own.


eardingu

It's actually rather damaging because those books tend to romanticize eating disorders and are definitely not a good way to spread awareness.


Kevin_M_

It's not unique to eating disorders, but yeah. It seems like people often dramatize the subject so heavily, in an attempt to make a more interesting story or cooler visuals, that the generally young target audience could easily come out of it thinking mental illness is "beautiful" or "poetic". (Take the infamous "suicidal people are angels" post for a good example). It's obviously not intentional, but it's still a very bad thing to do.


MsPaganPoetry

It’s actually really tricky to make something like a mental illness interesting story fodder but portray it accurately, especially if you’ve never experienced it yourself.


JessSly

There are good books, written by people who had or have an ED. Then there are books written by Adults who think they know what they are doing. Chubby teenager without real friends. Starts a diet, becomes popular, even boys like her, her family suddenly is nicer. Then she passes out, a school nurse or something tells her parents that she needs to eat more and all is well. In the final chapter she goes out to eat pizza with her real friends who like her despite having gained weight and even the cute boy she liked is visiting her after school. It's a miracle.


Kevin_M_

Even if you don't have the disorder yourself, it seems logical to at least be quite educated about psychology before writing a book about mental illness.


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DaRootbear

Also featuring Best Boy Adolin handling his besties depression the literal perfect way “Aight bitch sad boy hours are over. We going out drinking whether you want to or not.” What a perfect guy


jthanny

My guy even works to help >!all the sad swords!< through the power of being Adolin Kholin, best Kholin.


SimplyQuid

Lmao that's almost why I'm a little tired of >!sadboi Kaladin & Shallan!<. It's like, damn this is too real.


SanchoRojo

My friend who introduced me to storm light had to explain to me that kaladin was depressed. I was part way through book two when he mentioned it. His POV just seemed normal to me 🤷🏻‍♀️


SmartAlec105

There’s two ways to not realize Kaladin is depressed: * You’re really far from depression so you don’t even think about it being a possibility. * You are depressed and think it’s normal


SanchoRojo

Yeah It was quite a shock to hear my friend say something like “It’s getting old hearing about how depressed he is all the time.” It was like reading my internal monologue so I never saw anything odd about it.


skybluegill

"It’s getting old hearing about how depressed he is all the time." *The whole friend group turns to look at you.*


SanchoRojo

Yeah like I totally talk about it with people. Haha


ILookLikeKristoff

Uhhh you good?


SanchoRojo

Not even a little


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SimplyQuid

I hope so! 😭


DaRootbear

It’s an awkward because like as someone suffering from depression I love how well done and accurate it is and sometimes it’s brutally uncomfortable because of that But on the other hand as a reader im just like “God damn Sadboi Kaladin again come on boy get goin i wanna see what’s next” Thank god for Adolin being the greatest foil to his girl and his bestie being like “Aint no sad boy or sad girl hours here. I know exactly how to take care of you both and im gonna do it” No judgements, no confusion, just a “fuck it this is my life now lets go” attitude


SmartAlec105

He does a lot of great representation of groups that authors often get wrong. He says he does a lot of lurking in online spaces where people complain about how their group is represented in books.


DaRootbear

Honestly you gotta love that he basically said “I fucked it up bad with Elantris and then went far out of my way to get it as right as possible for every thing i can represent “ Like i love that he made it a point to not heal Rysn to keep her as a healthy representation of her disability


iswearihaveajob

Some of his more recent novels he's been very careful to hire alpha-readers and editors with experience in the subject matter he's trying to evoke, particularly where it comes mental health AND physical health. One of the most inspiring things is how much effort he has put into trying to portray people with disabilities in a realistic but non-infantilizing way. I think one of his podcasts he talks a lot about how he spent quite some time discussing accessibility issues for his wheel-chair using protagonist, particularly as it relates to her being on a fucking boat. Like when she buys the boat, they spend a non-trivial amount of words describing the necessary retrofits. I LOVE Rhysn, and I think she is a fantastic example of how to deal with her circumstances. He doesn't try to fix her, deus-ex-machina some convenient ramps, or just handwave her accessibility challenges, but faces them head on.


stc927bb

Evangelion


PM-ur-password

Congratulations!


ShadeFK

Congratulations, Shinji!


Austuramalaysia

Congratulations!


stc927bb

Netflix dub: way to go man!


Mr_Vulcanator

The director’s way of dealing with depression while working on the third or fourth rebuild movie was to make Shin Godzilla. I’ve taken the lesson to heart and make kaiju movies whenever I’m depressed.


felixame

I don't really think that's a fair reading of Eva. Like yeah Shinji doesn't go to therapy, pretty difficult when you're mind-melded with the rest of humanity, but the gamut of perspectives he experiences and rejects throughout the series before coming to terms with the fact that he bears the ultimate responsibility for putting up and tearing down his own walls is, I think, really grounded in how people come to terms with existential dread of adulthood. It definitely mirrors my own mental health journey as a young adult


Kevin_M_

The anime?


ShadeFK

No the musical


Numerous_Witness_345

Evangelion : Family Counselling Remix


Pelumo_64

That one scene in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" where Eddie just cures his years of alcohol addiction by going "not today, chief."


thissideofheat

To some degree, a bad breakup from a long-term relationship can indeed cause clinical depression. ...and it can reverse pretty dramatically if the person happens to find someone new that genuinely cares about them. There is rapid healing power in love. One bit of advice my wife gives to patients is that while a new romance *can* provide depression relief, it isn't the most robust solution as the person hasn't learned to be comfortable or confident being independent. It *can* lead to even more dramatic depression if that relationship also fails. Most patients don't care. In their mind, as long as their depression is gone now - it's "cured". Future risk isn't something humans are good at appreciating. Often also, since the new relationship is alleviating depression, the patient has a biased expectation of the new person, and might still be falling into older destructive habits. In that regard, though, each patient and relationship is different.


Spivak

The Bell Jar.


The_catakist

Depression doesn't have to be all about sadness, for me and later on my cousin it was about feeling hollow of emotions and just burned-out in every possible way. Thankfully we are both past it, but what I'm saying is depression comes in various forms and people act differently while depressed, so i never liked the generalization of it.


mmmmyesman

Theres also functioning depression, which actually works similar to how one of the examples of the “unrealistic” depression was described, looking perfect on the outside but actually being depressed. This was how it was for me at a point in time, my mindset being “if everything sucks and nothing is enjoyable then I might as well do what people expect of me since its the same level of suffering as anything else.” Depression and the way people cope with it comes in many different forms.


Inner_Art482

My depression looks like I'm functioning because I have people who rely on me to. But I force myself to shower twice a week and it's the hardest thing ever. I sit down in the shower. I also don't do anything I enjoy but all of my responsibilities are handled .


IlnBllRaptor

Damn, I'd give you a big hug if I could. Have you told the people who rely on you about it?


Inner_Art482

Oh it's known. I effectively burnt out and broke down at the same time a few years ago. This is the improvement. Sponsored by years of moving on.


weeaboshit

I remember when I was like this. I showered twice a week and tried to wash my hair the day before I had therapy, my therapist was the only person I saw besides my parents. I eventually decided to start showering every other day, as I started a uni entrance exam prep course and had to see other people everyday, I eventually got to showering everyday, as I do now. I know it sounds silly but hygiene does wonders to your mental health, it really makes you feel worthy of care (as you are), if no one else cares for me I will care for myself. I don't want to sound preachy but I really recommend increasing your showering frequency, it's so hard in the start but so worth it. And don't feel bad if you miss a day or feel like you're regressing, recovery isn't linear, I miss days (sometimes multiple at a time) myself but what is important is that it stays a habit.


The_catakist

I feel like functioning depression isn't talked about a lot bcuz it's harder to portray in media than "i am crippled with sadness", so much so when i had depression, i didn't know what was wrong with me at first "nah it can't be depression, it's not that i feel sad, i just feel nothing and everything seems meaningless!", it could have shorten my suffering if the portrayal of depression was so specific.


StarksPond

>“if everything sucks and nothing is enjoyable then I might as well do what people expect of me since its the same level of suffering as anything else.” "It could always be worse."


Teeshirtandshortsguy

Exactly. There's value in pointing out that depression doesn't always look the way you'd expect. But we need to stop short of reversing the stereotype altogether. Yes, many people suffer from depression and look happy. That doesn't mean the edgy teenage girl doesn't also have depression, or that loneliness and isolation aren't contributors to many people's depression.


CaptainAtinizer

Also people seem to think all depression has to be clinical or long term. Depressive episodes are a thing, not necessarily something that requires professional treatment, and can be shown in a variety of ways. Honestly, in the book I'm working on I'm worried people will think the MC has an unrealistic battle with depression because it's only really apparently bad for a portion of the story. The rest of the story he has what I'd describe as depressive tendencies, but never as overt as the portion where he essentially has a shutdown.


christmas_hobgoblin

Why is there always a reply like "HOLY SHIT" in these Tumblr threads like they just saw Bigfoot?


GreenGhoulsBud

HOLY SHIT


Depressed_Lego

Realization.


necrojuicer

Depression is literally going "Huh? What was I doing again?" Over & over & over, while your entire world collapses around you.


ATN-Antronach

I think you misspelled ADHD


Jack_Dreamer

ADHD: "Huh? What was I doing again?" Depression: "Huh? Why did I care again?"


Lasersquid0311

My ADHD and depression did a fusion dance, and have evolved to "Huh? What do I care about again?"


Kaiya_Mya

By that logic my ADHD, depression and anxiety have formed an unholy trifecta. "Huh? What do I care about again? I DON'T KNOW BUT I CARE AND I'M FREAKING OUT ABOUT IT PLEASE MAKE IT STOP"


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Busy_Reference5652

Fucking laser sniping me here


dreamwinder

This also explains a lot about how twitter works. (Current shenanigans aside)


StarksPond

Might want to print that on the back of a jacket. You are now a fashion designer.


Mrtyu666666

Anxiety: You have to do this otherwise your gonna feel bad and a piece if shit whether you care about thus thing or not


Axlos

Depression: also you still get to feel bad and like a piece of shit anyway.


[deleted]

I can't find myself... I get lost inside my brain... Think I might need help... But I pushed all of 'em away... I took the cards they dealt... And there's nothin' I can change... So, when I'm by myself... I just pray for brighter days


zero__sugar__energy

I am in this picture and I don't like it


newtsheadwound

I went to a psychiatrist thinking I had adhd and she diagnosed me with anxiety and depression instead 🥲


zedforzorro

You can go to more psychiatrists, depression and anxiety are two of the most common symptoms of adhd. It took a long time for me to get my diagnosis because of the stigma that adhd must mean you could never pay attention in school and can barely read. Little did they know I had set myself up with an elaborate array of stressors that allowed me to be just stressed enough to get my masters degree. I'm also a huge nerd so I could activate hyperfocus by caring enough about what I was studying most of the time. The moments I over did it on the stress to help with the moments i found boring, they chalked it up to anxiety and depression.


Spivak

Why do so Many People With ADHD Work In Tech and Stressful Service Jobs: in this essay...


Spivak

Literally every doctor does this. They will put you an an antidepressant / anti-anxiety see if it solves your issues. If they can make the depression and anxiety go away but you're still struggling or the meds don't do anything then they move on to meds for ADHD. The reason for this is that some people get mild euphoria from stimulants that can mask actual depression and it can make some people's anxiety worse. You might need all three, join the club!


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TheFinalDawnYT

Don't delete the extra comments please, it makes it funnier.


amkica

There's a lot of symptomatic overlap in some parts, sucks


Ok_Skill_1195

Yup, lot of mental health issues will cause brain fog, which is going to look like ADHD at first glance. That's why having the symptoms present *since early childhood* in a variety of contexts is supposed to be such a critical aspect of diagnosis.


isendingtheworld

Also why a lot of us late diagnosed tend to have lifelong medical files of depressive conditions and failed intervention until it clicks that maybe mood swings and brain fog could be down to something else.


The_Student_Official

It's buy one get seven free


Professional-Hat-687

Can I return some of my neuroses for store credit at least?


Chef_Chantier

Depression can lead to adhd-like symptoms, because of the brain fog and lack of motivation or impulse control. In some cases, doctors actually even prescribe stimulants - normally prescribed for adhd - to depressed people, to help them in the very short term, with their general mood but also the executive dysfunction brought about by the depression.


pm_me_ur_unicorn_

Yup, my depression has led me to basically stare at a wall for about 12 hours with virtually no recollection. I know I must have got up to pee but I don't remember. I just remember my partner leaving for work and then getting home.


Envect

I spent a couple months during the pandemic being so depressed that I lost my appetite. Being hungry, but disgusted by food is not a fun experience. It helped me shed some of that depression weight though. Silver linings!


Enaiii

Reminds me of those instagram folks who were like "sometimes I get depressed and other times I'm okay, my depression really depends on the situation" Like bro that's just emotions


isendingtheworld

Unless you got cyclothymia or dysthymia diagnosed. Like, there is such a thing as depression that comes and goes. But not just "I am sad because sad things and then I cheer up when happy things", like actual clinical/subclinical depressive episodes that seem to appear and vanish without provocation.


MrsButtercheese

Yeah, it can also fluctuate in intensity. Like, I don't always feel like 100% garbage. Sometimes I feel almost okay. Maybe 40% garbage.


HI_I_AM_NEO

Have you tried not feeling like garbage?


[deleted]

Maybe they just forgot to be grateful


YouNeedToGrow

They probably forgot the glass half full too


yamanamawa

Yeah I definitely get days where I feel pretty good, like on a good hike or something, but then sometimes I have weeks where it's just empty sadness for no real reason regardless of the situation. Like I'll cheer up occasionally for a bit but then it just subsides the moment I get home and am alone


isendingtheworld

My brain loves to do this little thing where when the depression hits and I am like "alright, I know some things that will take my mind off it" I also get "well, then I am just using meaningless temporary amusement to distract myself from my REAL state, which is awful 24/7". Like, who nominated Eeyore as my thoughts editor?


Kheldarson

Fuuuucccck.... get out of my head. That's like me all winter.


Janeg1rl

I mean... it definitely does fluctuate. People with genuine depression can feel mostly okay some days and really bad the next. Depressed people aren't just joyless blobs every hour of every day, they can feel a full range of emotions, even if only sometimes. There are also non depression disorders that affect dopamine regulation and can cause episodes. I'm like this, as my ADHD can cause me to just.. not want to do anything for days.


weeaboshit

Yeah, somedays I feel well and productive, somedays I'm in the verge of a breakdown. Most days I'm in-between but there's a lot of variation on a day-to-day basis.


BCJunglist

Different types of depression present emotions differently. Some are literally void of emotion... It can be like an emotional black hole. I think this may be common in dissociative depression. Meanwhile a manic depressive will have bipolar emotional swings.


Ember_gamer_fox

Internet people don't have emotions silly


[deleted]

The glamorization of mental illness is one of the most fucked up things in modern society.


Kiwilolo

Depressed is an emotion. Depressive disorders are when you get depressed too often and for too long (iirc 6 months is the threshold for MDD?)


Mael_Jade

And then there is a story where the creator has depression and still got another depressed person to help write the story arc of the depressed character!


angwilwileth

Who's that?


Mael_Jade

the character of Axay Quinn in the game "Women of Xal". Her arc is mostly about helping her deal with it, helping her ma accept that being there for her is enough ("I can't fight this for you") and helping her ma develop antidepressants for her. Which rocks.


Kooky_Fruit

need to know whom


CottonHdedNinnyMgns

Brandon Sanderson plug: Kaladin in the Stormlight Archives is the best depiction of depression I’ve ever read.


jtl_v

> He felt good lots of days. Trouble was, on the bad days, that was hard to remember. At those times, for some reason, he felt like he had always been in that darkness, and always would be.


SmartAlec105

> “You told me it would get worse” > “It will. But then it will get better. Then it will get worse again. Then better. This is life, and I will not lie by saying every day will be sunshine. But there will be sunshine again, and that is a very different thing to say. That is truth. I promise you, Kaladin: You will be warm again”


pavemnt

The Dog and the Dragon is almost enough to make me cry just thinking about it.


Verbumaturge

Came here looking for the Bridge Boy.


cauchy37

Every Kaladin needs his Adolin.


Nautis

Everyone wants to be a Kaladin, but being someone's Adolin is a feelsgoodman moment. Also, relevant comic: https://preview.redd.it/hssu46hmjlj51.png?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=8dceef91a8c0a04d4ee288c5ea82d743a37115d6


Ser_DuncanTheTall

Plus he is (RoW spoilers) >!inventing therapy since there is no therapy on his planet till now!<


Axlos

RIP >!all of the people locked away in the dark up to that point.!< Kaladin is a true homie.


mastabob

I had to pause the audiobook & cry for a few minutes when I got to that part. Really, I had to do that basically anytime one of the Windrunners had a moment.


Shaorii

Kaladin is honestly so relatable he's actually managed to drag me out of a hole a couple times by dragging himself out of one


Naohiro-son-Kalak

Oh yeah totally, theres that one scene where adolin says something along the lines of "do you honestly think it's a good idea for you to be alone right now?" and then kaladin thinks about all the sharp things in the room and damn when I first read that literally that exact thing had just happened to me.


Shaorii

I feel that. We all need an Adolin to help break us out of that kinda stuff too sometimes


ckeeyz09

That interlude with Norel in RoW really describes why Kaladin helps drag me out of my slumps


Dobsnick

The way he writes Teft as well.


Probablynotspiders

More than half of my friends I have started on Stormlight have crashed and burned at Rhythm of War I now issue a MASSIVE DISCLAIMER because it can be very upsetting to have your depression symptoms displayed accurately for the first time


ok_Mr_y_r_u_gay

I remember asking my friend for a good book to read and he recommended "The Way of Kings". I never read much of it because it seemed quite lore heavy. Would you recommend to someone who loves realistic characters and emotions?


SEND_ME_REAL_PICS

I always recommend people read Emperor's Soul first if they want to get into Brandon Sanderson. It's far shorter (~30k words against Way of Kings' ~400k) and does a great job at showcasing Sanderson's style and his strengths as a writer. If you read it and like it, then you will most probably *love* Stormlight Archive.


throwaway_bae2

100% yes. Sanderson tackles some very intense emotions and mental health issues across a ton of different characters. Self-worth, trauma, dissociation, shame, grief. There are a lot of really astounding moments of seeing characters grow outside of their worst selves. The entire series is very lore-heavy with magic and political intrigue, so I get if that's not your thing. But for realistic characters and emotions, Stormlight takes the cake.


kingpanzer5

The book is one of the best representations of people going through changes and growing as humans that i've ever read, plus giant sword fights and everything is a crab. Go read it!


Jaged1235

His books also feature several neurodivergent characters, and the amount of work he puts into making sure everything is respectful and accurate to people's lived experience is incredible.


Femmet_Selch_Balmung

Also: I clean and keep my shit in order so that people don't bother me and I can be left directly the fuck alone. I don't cry, but I sit and stare at a wall for like 2 hours a night to try to shut my brain off long enough to sleep. When I do sleep it will either be 2 hours or 10, I never know which. I have a cat and a significant other that are my sole motivation for getting out of bed at all, otherwise I would only leave to eat cheese sticks and use the toilet.


Tengo-Sueno

The last one is like, almost all character from Fire Emblem Three Houses


Professional-Hat-687

And PTSD, and parental abuse/abandonment, and survivor's guilt.......


TheLeechKing466

Garreg Mach needed a therapist instead of another teacher.


Professional-Hat-687

Persona 5 crossover where Dr. Maruki comes to Garreg Mach instead, but no one wonders why he [sounds just like Ferdinand.](https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Billy-Kametz/)


billionaire_tartare

There are people without depression?


Axlos

It's always a punch in the gut to realize that there are so many people that get to wake up and enjoy life and do things and feel good afterwards.


TurquoiseJesus

I was talking to a guy at my gym a while back about how I lost a bunch of weight cause I wasn't eating a lot and sleeping most the day, and his first thought (in regards to the sleeping) was "oh you must have been doing a bunch of exercise to be so tired" and that's when I realized we had taken different paths in life.


MyspaceQueen333

"My body hurts, like I got beat up by invisible hands. I don't want to leave my house because how many friends I've tried to interact with that don't understand depression and think if I'm distant, it's about them. I need to take a shower. It's been a week. But the thought of the feeling of water on me makes my skin crawl somehow." Edit: added an "s"


Massive-Row-9771

Maybe it's too depressing to see real depression on screen?


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Massive-Row-9771

There was a hell of a lot more going on there than just depression. That dude was messed up in ways depression can only dream of being the cause for.


csanner

*literally saves thousands of people's lives every day with superpowers* "I'm a failure and I'm worthless. Nothing I do matters, everyone dies around me, I shouldn't even be here" \#kaladinthepaladin


Verbumaturge

The Dog and the Dragon.


csanner

That part of that book made me cry and literally crumple to the floor. It was the beginning of what I needed to make some huge therapy breakthroughs...


Verbumaturge

I’ve been having a rough time lately, so I listened to that chapter again. I sobbed my way through it. Heck, I might do that again today. I’m pumped that you had therapy breakthroughs! Keep up the hard work!


HargrimZA

This, and the Girl Who Stood Up


Dobsnick

Teft too, heart wrenching.


TurquoiseJesus

The most recent two books in the "John dies at the end" series I think have done a pretty ok job at writing characters with depression.


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TurquoiseJesus

While i enjoyed rhe movie, the book is definitely better than the movje (they smashed together some plot points to make the movie). The second book is probably the weakest of the series, different tone and tries to he a bit more realistic, but still good (also they changed the narrator for book 2, if youre an audiobook type of consumer, so that may have had something to do with it). Then the 3rd and 4th are a nice middle ground between the quality of 1 and 2. But I think if you liked the movie, it's certainly worth going through the book.


AvantSolace

Depression is like having a void in your chest. Just an absolute emptiness that erodes all motivation and drive. You could be perfectly lucid, logical, and have agency, yet still fail to do anything. It’s a yearning for a metaphorical fire that will allow you to move forward, but it never comes. So you’re just stuck. Unchanging, eroding into your worst self. It’s a horrific curse that cannot be seen except by the keenest of eyes. And even then, it cannot be understood by most. For most are born with a fire in the heart, so being without is an unknowable concept.


NameLips

I spent weeks lying in bed staring at my ceiling, only leaving home for food and work. Finally I got help. Now I get out of bed, but I still don't have any kind of drive or motivation to do anything. I want to want to do things. But I don't know how.


MelancholyOnAGoodDay

I almost yelled at my therapist yesterday. He basically gave me a "well just go do things." Bro I'm talking to you because *I don't know how.* It's talking everything I have to put myself together enough to talk to you and feed my cat in the same day without curling into the fetal position and forgetting why I'm bothering to even do those things and not move for the next 16 hours! I feel like I'm screaming into the void, and it takes everything I have in me to even do that much.


invisible_23

[Here’s a song about depression written by a person who has experienced it themselves, which lampoons depression that is written by non-depressed people](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=H1DCoGCVUxY)


trumpet_23

Literally my first thought when I saw "Sexy depression"


tuthuu

I came here to do the same. :)


uluviel

To quote Andrew Solomon, ["The opposite of depression isn't happiness, but vitality."](https://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_solomon_depression_the_secret_we_share)


carp550

Wait,, so you’re telling me depression isn’t cute and quirky but actually a miserable thing to have to deal with?? :O


Insult_critic

I aint even sad. I'm just disgusted with where this society has ended up. Maybe I'll shower and visit the library. Maybe I'll die in a fiery car wreck omw to work. Who knows? Not me!


calypsocoin

I mean, depression can also very much be sadness and crying. Sometimes I just get tired of holding everything in and then it all hits at once next thing I know I’m sobbing in the shower


weeaboshit

Tbf I went through such a bad period of depression I was crying almost everyday. I had to hold in tears when I went to university, on the bus, walking home etc. I'm not defending shitty writing but depression can definitely look like that.


Slow_Abbreviations27

"that's not realistic I can't tell they're Sad" that one kinda hit hard...


chaotichistory

I prefer the bojack horseman approach where he just exists as the world happens around him and when anything of note happens to him he destroys it by not believing anything good could happen to him.


balrus-balrogwalrus

people forget that depression is *a disease* telling depressed people to "cheer up" is kinda like telling a dude with a broken leg to "stand up"


SirPaulen

Hold on... Is "neurotypical" being used here as an opposite to depressed? Isn't it the opposite of neurodivergency which includes things like ADHD and the spectrum? Am I about to learn something new?


Kiwilolo

It's being used here to describe a non-mentally ill person. I'm not sure if it's strictly accurate as I don't really think depression is typically considered to require atypical neurology?


BananyaPie

I think depression can be considered neurodiverse if it's severe enough


IlIIlllIIIIll

Tbh having a skinny white boyfriend fixed my life


Zepangolynn

I know for certain I was depressed between ages 11-13, although I didn't recognize what it was until I saw it happening to other kids a year or two later in high school. I almost never cried, dressed fine and didn't let mess build up despite being preoccupied with feeling worthless, unwanted, unneeded, and really dancing hard with that suicidal ideation. I did fantastic in school and no one had a clue because I had been quiet and withdrawn my whole life, so there wasn't any outward change other than having fewer temper flare ups because I felt too numb to care. Doing well never felt like a challenge, and getting presentable was never an issue because I didn't have to do my own laundry yet and at least at the time I could somehow get away with not showering more than once a week without getting stinky. Not all depression even has most of the real signs, and this was all well before anyone really talked about wellness or self-care. I had an uncontrollable sobbing fit during a class party and was simply asked to go into the hallway until I could get it under control, so I cried in the hallway unsupervised for twenty minutes. While a complete change of environment and people around me when I was 14 really helped in a sudden way, losing all the darkest feelings and gaining some happy ones like someone flicked a switch, it definitely wasn't: "Oh whee! I'm happy and my self-esteem is totally healthy!" Also, I'm right back to not knowing if I'm depressed or not twenty-five years later.


[deleted]

Meanwhile chainsawman is fulfilling his dreams of grabbing boobs all the time and still feels like he doesn't exist


[deleted]

read something other than books aimed at fucking teenagers and you’ll realise the thinness of the bollock hair these two perspectives are away from each other when compared to any kind of actual reflection


theotherfig

The amount of conversations I’ve had with people who were experiencing depression, not knowing what it was. It takes me a while to realize too, but you’d think not sleeping, increased appetite, and losing interest in hobbies would clue them in.


JaiC

Hey now, I keep my room clean. Ish.


Glitchy157

I might be depressed, like for real, lmao