My two cents

a little over a week ago one of my very best friends, Ben, wrote a blog post about his struggle with depression. For those of you who know me, or have read my blog before, will know that I too have been diagnosed with depression. The responses to his post have ranged from compassionate, empathetic and supportive to accusations of egotism, arrogance and narcissism. So my friendship with Ben and my own circumstances probably skew my opinion on this issue which is why I have delayed writing my own blog post. I have been mulling over what it is that I want to say, what the most important message was that I wanted to share.

I have been shocked by the negative responses Ben has received. His depression was not a shock to me, it is something we have spoken about in length over the last few months but I was overwhelmed with pride and admiration when I read his post. It is vastly different from his normal writing, writing that is satirical, comical, acerbic. It is writing that rips off the mask of normality and reveals the truth about a mind in conflict with itself. It was a huge risk for someone who is a professional writer, comedian and social commentator.

So why then have people been so quick to put negative connotations on to what Ben wrote? How could they view the sharing of the deepest darkest parts of some one's mind as egotistical? I have seen plenty of people share stories publicly about their struggles with cancer, they are lauded as brave, heroic, inspirational and yet someone who shares a story about mental illness is narcissistic?

I was under the impression that, as a society, we had come further than seeing mental illness as something that needs to remain hidden, something that isn't to be spoken about in polite company. Now it seems I was wrong and this saddens me deeply. Depression is an illness, a medically diagnosable, clinically treatable illness. Its not just people who happen to feel really sad and mopey and should suck it up. Depression is not something that can be fixed with logic and reasoning and you certainly can't bully someone into not being depressed any more.

Perhaps those who responded negatively to Ben's post have never experienced the effects that depression can have on a person, their family and friends, never known what it's like to fall into the consuming darkness with no idea how to get yourself out or if you even want to.

I am struggling with a way to end this blog post as I don't know what more t say... I am suddenly lost for words. I rang Ben and asked him what I should do. He suggested I end this by posting a picture of a kitten so here you go