My letter to depression

Dear Depression,

I wanted to write a letter to you in the hope we can come to some sort of agreement as to where we both go from here. I have written to you many times before in days of despair and days of hope, today is one of my good days when I can find the strength from within to speak to you forcefully, concisely, from the head and from the heart. If need be, I can also speak to you aggressively, just to enforce my point, but seeing as we are now old friends, I shall try to remain diplomatic at all times.

Let me start by complimenting you on the wonderful public relations team you have working for you. How you manage to cause so much pain and heartache to so many people and not get a negative reaction in the press is a testament to the work they do on your behalf. How you get away with creating a stigma against those of us who suffer is nothing short of remarkable. When we are on better terms, perhaps you can tell me how they do it?

Exactly how is it that you manage to turn the tables on people so that they are seen as weak, hopeless, worthless and even on the verge of taking their lives because you won’t let them breathe? How come you’re still not seen as the major illness you are when so many people suffer because of you?

I saw first hand how you destroyed someone with no regard, no remorse, just a relentless charge through someone’s persona. Watching someone so vibrant, loving, outgoing and confident become a shadow of the person that I loved was horrible. To make someone change in such a way and, worse of all, to do it over a long period of time so that they are not aware of it, how do you do that?

You came to me over a 2 to 3 year time span, I knew you were there but I was not ready to acknowledge your existence. Unaware of the strength I needed to halt you on your path of destruction, I allowed you to control me and my feelings until that day when you almost beat me.

The truth of the matter is that I was a beaten man, but I did not want you to claim me as another victim. From within, I found hidden strength, through the love of my wife and children, I fought back. I am lucky in that sense, but others are not as fortunate as me, it’s so hard with your uncanny knack of pinpointing someone’s weakness and going straight for it.

The good news for me, and the bad for you, is that now I’m on top. Without you I would not be writing, something I had a passion for as a young boy in school, YOU stirred my creative juices and made my mind awash with ways I could defeat you. Now I am ready to help others defeat you and most of all I am ready to show others how the weakness comes from you not themselves.

I am starting a revolution and will unite all “Depressionistas” from all walks of life in my battle. Are you ready for us this time my friend? We may seem weak as single entities but as a force we are strong and we will not be defeated. Your days of chaining us to shackles will soon be over.

Try putting a positive spin on that!

You can also follow Garry on Twitter @depressedmoose

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