Depression is Like a Window With a Disappearing Crack

Depression is like living in a room that was so loud that all I could do was just deal with the loudness of the room. Then I found a door out of the room… and the loudness of the room was not oppressing me anymore. Wil Wheaton on Depression

Wil Wheaton is an actor, writer and producer. He also lives with generalized anxiety and clinical depression. He describes how for years, he thought that the way he views the world was the way everyone sees the world, because that was normal for him.

In a way, mental illness is like driving your car with a crack in the window. We get used to the crack and we look past it because that is all that we know. We notice the cracks in the windows around us and assume that is how glass is supposed to be. Until we get help and our lens is restored.

He describes what he discovered as being profound. Like life opened up to him.

I was on my way to having a normal life. Normal for me was changing, it wasn’t constantly worrying about things, constantly giving up on things… I was going to be able to experience things and just be a person. I’m learning how to live life with depression rather than live life through depression.

He makes a profound statement that bears repeating: “I’m learning how to live life with depression rather than live life through depression.” It is like the difference between understanding when you have depression and when depression has you.

Wheaton found help by consulting with his doctor and Psychiatrist. Getting the proper help can change your outlook and change your life.

Our chemistry, our experience, our relationships… sometimes it’s easy and sometimes it’s hard. As long as you are doing what you can to take care of yourself and to leave every day a little kinder than it started, things are going to be alright.

Our cracks are very real and often painful. How we heal can lead to greater strength and increased value. For more on how our cracks lead to our healing, see my post, To Heal You Must Become The Art.

If you live with depression or any other mental illness, what is your experience like? I hope to see you in the comments.

Keep it Real

Photo by Dennis Crowley