“Said it ain't the dark that I'm afraid of, it's the light
And you said, sometimes I wish the sun wouldn't come out at all
And you said, sometimes I wish the sun wouldn't come out at all
Just the good days”
Take My Blanket and Go - Good Days
J. Purdy (www.joepurdy.com) When I woke up this morning, it was sunny and I didn't want to get out of bed. I've been low the last couple of days and I just wanted the weather to match my mood. The above song is an excellent description of what of like to live with depression. Just like any other disease, mental illness isn't totally solved by medication or other therapies. Just as someone with Type I Diabetes has to monitor their illness and change their medical routine as things change, so does the person with depression.
If it was as easy as “pulling up your bootstraps and just getting on with it” no one would ever be depressed again. I hope the people who don't understand that never have to find out first hand what a painful disease it is.
For the record, I feel better today and now that I'm up, I'm happy to open the windows and let the sun in. Guess it's time to break out my “mood” light.