A whine about depression

[Jon.]

I hate to seem like a whiner, but I have to take exception with Randi's light-hearted treatment of clinical depression in this week's commentary. This quote in particular bothered me:

Alton, marinate a chicken breast in a dry white wine, barbeque, cover with Sauce Bernaise, and enjoy. Then pick up a puppy and get your face licked. That’s my two-course recipe for depression. You agree?

As someone who has been hospitalized for depression, and continues to battle it, the dismissal of this debilitating disease with light-hearted references to doing something "fun" is just as bad as Tom Cruise's denial of its existence.

When you are depressed, you simply can't enjoy things like good food and cute puppies. You can't enjoy anything. Things you used to love doing lose their appeal, and simple everyday tasks seem like major undertakings. I remember trying to cook a simple meal and being totally overwhelmed because there were 5 or 6 steps I had to follow. And this was a meal I had cooked on numerous occasions in the past.

Only with modern medication and supportive talk therapy was I able to return to my profession, and I continue to battle the dark thoughts that threaten to put me back in the hole that nearly killed me.

Randi, you wouldn't suggest that a nice slice of cake was a cure for diabetes. Please don't make light of depression.

Thanks.

 

[LostAngeles]

Yeah, but as someone else who's been in those exact same shoes, one of the things that helps me is to find those little things that do bring you some joy and have them as much as possible. In my case, it was generally latex balloons, good food, and my cat. To be honest, while it wasn't much of a cure, it did help keep me grounded for the most part instead of losing my mind to the depression.

I don't mind making light of depression. I do it all the time. I make fun of myself for going through it. I make fun of being neurotic. I make suicide jokes. For me, being humorous (sometimes distastefully. All right. Often.) is a coping mechanism. For you, all right, maybe not so much. But I just wanted to throw in the other viewpoint.

 

[Rob Lister]

I hate to seem like a whiner, but I have to take exception with Randi's light-hearted treatment of clinical depression in this week's commentary. This quote in particular bothered me:

It is likely that Randi has never suffered from clinical depression. He hears the word and thinks of the Webster's definition instead of the clinical one. He doesn't know it is certainly not the same thing as feeling a bit blue and down in the mouth. No amount of puppy saliva will cure it. Luckily, reuptake inhibitors sometimes work wonders.

 

[Lisa Simpson]

Frankly, I just took it to mean that Alton's depression was from seeing WotW and losing his $10. In that case, puppy saliva is a pretty good cure.

I do just love Alton, though. I saw him at the county fair last month and he is so damn funny!

 

[LibraryLady]

Frankly, I just took it to mean that Alton's depression was from seeing WotW and losing his $10. In that case, puppy saliva is a pretty good cure.

I agree with Lisa's reading. However, I prefer budgie kisses to puppy saliva.

I'm depressed because my neck is in spasm.

 

[LostAngeles]

Frankly, I just took it to mean that Alton's depression was from seeing WotW and losing his $10. In that case, puppy saliva is a pretty good cure.

I do just love Alton, though. I saw him at the county fair last month and he is so damn funny!

He was at the Orange County Fair?!

Damn it! I'm going to pass up making bad jokes about my ol' depression and just point out that WotW must have been really bad to trigger it for two weeks.

Damn you Tom Cruise, damn you.

 

[Lisa Simpson]

Alton posted the bit about WotW on his blog on July 11. I saw him at the OC Fair on July 14th. He seemed in fine spirits, cracking jokes about how Emeril and Martha Stewart are in a battle for world dominence.

http://www.altonbrown.com/pages/rants.html

 

[LostAngeles]

Alton posted the bit about WotW on his blog on July 11. I saw him at the OC Fair on July 14th. He seemed in fine spirits, cracking jokes about how Emeril and Martha Stewart are in a battle for world dominence.

http://www.altonbrown.com/pages/rants.html

It was just a cover for the pain in his soul. Afterwards, he went back to his hotel room and wrote the following:

A tripod, a madman, these things that I saw with my eyes
Only made me realize that it's this world that I despise.
I hurt inside and no one cares. No one understands.
That I just blew ten dollars and there's cheese stains on my pants.

Oh Tom, Oh Tom, your vitamins can't do me any good.
The only thing that can help me now is golden-brown and delicious food.

But alas! My appetite has vanished. My desire to cook is gone.
Compared to Emeril and Bobby Flay, I'm the loser, number one.
...

Nevermind. I suck at goth teen poetry.

Or does that mean I'm good at it?

 

[alfaniner]

Alton posted the bit about WotW on his blog on July 11. I saw him at the OC Fair on July 14th. He seemed in fine spirits, cracking jokes about how Emeril and Martha Stewart are in a battle for world dominence.

http://www.altonbrown.com/pages/rants.html

Wow, what's the deal with his 78-point font, black on yellow???

The current JREF web page format is mild by comparison.

 

[Lisa Simpson]

Nevermind. I suck at goth teen poetry.

Or does that mean I'm good at it?

Yes, that means you are good at it. In a bad sort of way.

He pulled it together enough at the fair to make avocado ice cream, avocado compound butter and avocado frosting.

 

[LostAngeles]

Yes, that means you are good at it. In a bad sort of way.

He pulled it together enough at the fair to make avocado ice cream, avocado compound butter and avocado frosting.

The poor thing! Why didn't you stop him?! He's a Georgian! No one that's not a native Californian likes avocado!

What kind of heartless creatures are you?!

 

[Lisa Simpson]

The poor thing! Why didn't you stop him?! He's a Georgian! No one that's not a native Californian likes avocado!

What kind of heartless creatures are you?!

He said he loves avocados and blamed Californians for hogging all the good ones, so in Georgia he could only get small yucky avocados. Besides, avocado was the theme of the fair. One food booth had deep fried avocado slices with ranch dipping sauce.

 

[delphi_ote]

I think that was Randi's sweetest commentary to date. He wasn't making light of depression at all. In this very same commentary, he talked about trying to get a person with psychological problems to seek help. He seemed very sympathetic and genuine in those few words to people suffering from depression.

I read them as a wonderful man reminding people that the world is full of beautiful, small things. Those are the things we can build positive coping mechanisms around and find a sense of hope to break the grey, numb ache of depression.

I had a horrible time from the ages of 12-15 coping with depression and grief. A white and orange kitten who curled up and purred on my chest is why I'm alive and making this post right now.

 

[crimresearch]

Re: Re: A whine about depression

It is likely that Randi has never suffered from clinical depression. He hears the word and thinks of the Webster's definition instead of the clinical one. He doesn't know it is certainly not the same thing as feeling a bit blue and down in the mouth. No amount of puppy saliva will cure it. Luckily, reuptake inhibitors sometimes work wonders.

Depression can be:

(1) : a state of feeling sad
http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=depression


...and something as simple as a puppy can lift it.


Clinical labels for Mood Disorders use terms such as major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, bipolar disorder, cyclothymic disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and postpartum depression.
http://www.allaboutdepression.com/dia_01.html

The fact that people do not use the proper terms to make a distinction, and choose to lump them all under the heading of 'depression' is their failure to communicate, not Randi's.

 

[tkingdoll]

Out of context Randi's quote could be read as trivialising depression, but in context it doesn't seem likely that it was meant that way.

For the record, I lived through my worst clinically depressed period (following post-traumatic stress, never a good thing to happen to a depressive) entirely because of the game Final Fantasy IX. When I wasn't sleeping I was immersing myself in a fantasy world and clocked up over 200 hours gameplay. It was literally all I was living for at the time. Not dissimilar to puppies and chicken but I wouldn't necessarily recommend the game to anyone as a cure, as each person deals with their own depression differently. Escapism is very personal.

edited for roman numerals

 

[alfaniner]

...
. Not dissimilar to puppies and chicken but I wouldn't necessarily recommend the game to anyone as a cure, as each person deals with their own depression differently. Escapism is very personal.

I find Katamari Damacy for PS2 to fill the bill quite nicely. How can you not enjoy that opening sequence?

 

[BillyJoe]

I was reading this thread when my wife came up behind me and asked me if I wanted to watch WOTW. She had just returned from the market where she has a contact who sells pirated copies of recently released movies. (Meanwhile I was cleaning the kitchen)

I will let you know what I think of it.

BJ

 

[BillyJoe]

Well, we all thought it was pretty good.

I guess the question here is: do we let our opinions about the actor cloud our opinion of the film? Do we even allow ourselves to watch the film just because the actor is someone of whose opinions we disapprove?

My wife, for example, is unable to appreciate Russell Crowe's movies because of his off-screen persona. On the other hand, despite his allegiance to scientology, she watches all Tom Cruise's movies. Apparently he has sex appeal. Go figure!


My opinion: I think we should keep these issues separate.


BJ

 

[tracer]

Randi, you wouldn't suggest that a nice slice of cake was a cure for diabetes.

Well, maybe, if it was a really good slice of cake. (And it was sugar-free.)

 

[BillyJoe]

Jon,

I'm probably a bit late with this, having being dragged off on a tangent, but...

....simple everyday tasks seem like major undertakings. I remember trying to cook a simple meal and being totally overwhelmed because there were 5 or 6 steps I had to follow. And this was a meal I had cooked on numerous occasions in the past.

This is something I just can't understand.
I remember someone telling me he was so depressed he couldn't set the table. I thought he was exaggerating, but he was not. His wife went to work and then came home and cleaned the house, did the washing, and cooked the meal. I thought to myself: "Get off yer friggin' ass, man." But he literally could not do it. He slept most of the day and then, when he got up, he couldn't do a thing. The incredible thing was that his wife did understand and, uncomplainingly, supported him throughout his illness.
I still don't understand it. And, in a way, I hope I never will.

Randi, you wouldn't suggest that a nice slice of cake was a cure for diabetes. Please don't make light of depression.

This is the other thing I have trouble with. When I feel a little depressed I either find something meaningful to involve myself in or I find something to amuse me or make me laugh. I guess that is the difference between depression and a Depressive Disorder.

regards,
BillyJoe