Winter can be a particularly difficult time, especially for those with mental illness. The days are shorter, darker. The chilled air invites us to close ourselves inside rather than pursue action or time outdoors. You may be thinking to yourself, “But that’s just a matter of perspective.” And, precisely! You’re quite right. But perspective kills. Perspective creates realities or destroys them. Perspective is enough to convince people to throw themselves off rooftops.
In the mortuary business, the busiest time of year are the darker months. This is no coincidence. It’s not just suicides either. The very will to live seems to be more fragile during these months. Mental illness can be one of the deadliest diseases for this reason. At its worst, the disease’s success results in the self-inflicted demise of its victim.
In January, I had the pleasure of being on the Depressed Not Dead podcast. The host, himself, suffers from depression severe enough to make some days impossible when it comes to rising from the bed. His show creates a warm space for people to discuss their difficulties and trials and find commonalities. As somebody who’s struggled with suicidal thoughts and flirted with the deed itself, I found myself on his show discussing my own experience with Bipolar II.
We talked about the nature of mental illnesses, how they hold us captive, comparing their nature to illnesses like pneumonia, but most importantly, we braved the topics of overcoming.
Self-improvement talk can be nauseating. In Western societies, where productivity and success raise concrete mazes, (oftentimes creating the very pressure which induces our existential panic), it’s crucial to highlight the difference between self-improvement for the sake of appearances, and self-improvement for the sake of mental well-being, contentment, and rising up to shake hands with our inner demons.
To make things complicated, these worlds blur. Exercise can help us look better for the sake of meeting absurd beauty standards, but it can also release the chemicals needed to get us out of a dark rut which otherwise might eat us whole. Typical habits of high-performing individuals can, at first, seem pretentious and for the sake of societal gain, but beneath many of these tendencies are practical means to living a life where we take a firmer grip on the reigns of our weaknesses.
Sometimes, it’s the motive that’s important. Hell, you might even say it’s a matter of perspective.
Pop in to say hello to the host of “Depressed Not Dead” on Twitter. Tell him about your own experience, what you thought of the show. Feel free to include me in the tweet to keep important discussions like this alive and strong. Also, selfishly, because I love talking to you people.
If you have a few I'd be honored if you'd listen to & share the 178th Depressed Not Dead episode where I talk with Quin from the Mania podcast about his show, his life with #bipolar, and so much more. Please retweet. Thank you!#SickNotWeak https://t.co/k6yCaDaUBl
— jamoalki (@jamoalki) January 23, 2020
