THE DISPATCHES
11/12/2017
Sometimes we forget why we started doing something, or at least some part of it. I began this project because I was interested in establishing a space for creative introverts to get back to "being human again"—being open, more vulnerable, more in touch with what some self-help "gurus" might call the juice of life.
In the last few months, as politics get heated, the gun control debate spins out of control, and an entire industry opens up about sexual assault, I've come to notice more and more how difficult it is to have a meaningful conversation about what it's doing for our collective psyche. Mental health is getting little coverage, despite the fact that there's seemingly more literature and coverage about such things as PTSD, anxiety and depression. A lot of the coverage is cause-effect coverage: PTSD is what the soldiers have when they come home from war, anxiety is what happens when you're exposed to pressure and social media and more pressure. Depression is, well, not really discussed as much because presumably it doesn't have a hook in the way the other topics do.
Depression is a perennial topic, it affects a significant swath of the population—both US and world—and we just don't talk about it. I have numerous friends who will discuss their depression with me, in some private capacity, but nobody really likes to get it out there into the conversation. Ironically, it's one of the mental health issues that can be improved by talking about it.
This week's piece is about my own depression, and what I've been doing about it for years, and what I continue to do about it. I hope you'll read it, and find something of use—or share with me what works for you.
I hope your week is off to a great start!
Stay human,
P.S. Follow me on Instagram if you aren't already.
CEDRIC VICTOR
MY DEPRESSION
