When Robin Williams committed suicide, it was hard for some people to understand that he suffered from depression. Many questioned, how is it that someone who is so full of life on stage and screen can suffer from depression? Well, for those who might have asked themselves that very same question, here’s the answer, coming from someone who was diagnosed with both postpartum and clinical depression. The answer… There is a difference between being depressed and having depression.
Clinical Depression is defined as a “depression so severe as to be considered abnormal, either because of no obvious environmental causes or because the reaction to unfortunate life circumstances is more intense or prolonged than would generally be expected”. Being depressed is defined as “sad and gloomy, dejected, downcast”. The downfall of a person who suffers from depression comes when the disease of depression collides with depressed feelings. Here’s what I mean…..
I am generally a happy person. I love to smile and make people laugh. Interestingly enough, when I was battling depression, I still had joy. I know this seems like a paradox, but it’s a simple case of appearance vs. reality. I have strong Christian beliefs, and I was always taught that there is a difference between having joy and being happy. Happiness changes with circumstances, but joy (a fruit of the spirit Galatians 5:22-23) is a gift from God. So, no matter how I felt, I knew that the gift of joy (no matter how far out of my reach it might have felt sometimes) was still there. In fact, knowing the difference between happiness and joy is what saved my life. I still had hope in God, and hope in my faith. I still praised God with a song and with a dance in my private time and at church. Having depression did not change my expression, especially at church. I might have felt hopeless, but I still had hope. I might have felt sad, but I still had joy. The Bible says it like this. I was “persecuted, but not forsaken, cast down, but not destroyed”. II Corinthians 4: 9
Now, for others who suffer from depression, their thing might not be church or a faith in God. It might be something else that grounds them to the soil of their purpose. Whatever that something is, it is the thing that makes one who suffers from depression want to get out of bed. It is the something that allows them to press on. It is so important for people who suffer from depression to maintain the connection to that “thing”. There were most certainly times that I physically could not get out of the bed, but that “thing”, my “thing” (whether it be my kids, singing or teaching) is what literally allowed me to defy the laws of physics and pull what was a seeming lifeless dying self up from a destitute place and into the land of the living. I was not depressed; I had depression.
So I say to you, those who might have depression, stay connected to the thing that brings you joy. The thing that no matter how bad it goes, it still brings you fulfillment. The thing that even if it brings rejection, you still keep going back to it because you know that it is so much bigger than yourself. Whether it be your children, career, dreams, passions…whatever it is, press on to allow yourself to connect to those things. Without them, you will be unfulfilled and most certainly depressed.
If you know someone who is battling depression, and who is disconnecting him/herself from that “thing”, please find a way to help maintain that connection. Videos are a great way to help remind people of their purpose. For singers, send a video of a time you captured them singing. If they are a dancer, post a video of someone doing their favorite dance to their social media. If they like the arts, then send them a video of you acting out a scene from their favorite play or movie. Seriously, sending anyone any quote from The Color Purple is a sure way to brighten any day. If they love pets….well there are an endless amount of pet videos you can send to help remind them of their passion for animals. Do whatever it takes. Remember, people with depression cannot afford to be depressed; we have to press on!