Be Happy DAMMIT!

Sometimes you can be the happiest person in the world and without any warning, everything changes. Depression is a strange thing and I think it's something that no one really understands. They understand it as it relates to themselves but find it difficult to deal with when a friend or loved one suffers from it.

The problem with depression is that suddenly, the smallest thing can set it off, sending you on a sometimes destructive path of self loathing and unhappy thoughts.

You can go from feeling like this:

to this:

almost instantly.

From there on, it can turn into an avalanche of events that make you feel even worse.

People just don't seem to understand and may think you are merely being a bit of a sook.

Even though the thought is there, sometimes a friend trying to cheer you up is the worst thing.

One method they may take is the childish mocking tone. The one that they think will help you crack a smile. It's a bit like Dory in Finding Nemo.

Another method is the "if I tell them that they are worrying/thinking about nothing then they will be OK." This is equally ineffective.

Then there's the parental approach...

To make things worse, every song on the radio seems like it is talking directly to you and telling you the same thing in between groovy dance beats or moody guitar solos.

It feels like the whole world is against you. Even you are against you and you might find that you are contradicting yourself. Your thoughts change, immediate plans can change, and some things that you care about go out the window.

You know what is affecting you, and sometimes you know what it is going to take to pick you back up again. But it's not always that easy. You struggle on, because that's life, even though you feel like you're falling from the cliff of expectations.

You can never underestimate the effect that a special person can have on you. They seem to know exactly what to do or say...and more importantly what not to do or say. Things can start to feel better almost instantly.