OK, I’m just going to take a moment to type about something that really bothers me.
Depression Medicine Advertising.
Hello depressing!!!! I know they’re trying to sell something but you’d think it was DEPRESSION! Well, I think it actually is, cause without depression how are they gonna sell their little magic “make it all better” pills? And who better than someone sitting at the TV trying to get a break from real life for a little bit?
They use, dark depressed colors, depressing angles and photography techniques that only let you focus on the very worst, depressing music slowed down even beyond the original intention, and people looking absolutely helpless and miserable. I wonder what they fed them before filming? Actually, I’ll take that back, I don’t want to know what they did to them to help them act so unhappy and unfulfilled.
Now, I do not, nor would I ever, poke at depression or think it’s not real, it’s something that I take very seriously and have dealt with on and off for at least a couple decades now. I don’t think there is any magic answer to fix it all. It’s serious, it’s painful, it’s heavy, tired, slow, extremely saddening, it’s handicapping and HARD to get through. If you’ve never dealt with it on a personal level it’s like running in the ocean compared to running on a track, normal things become impossible.
I have taken meds and think they did wonders for me when I needed them most. BUT they’re not the only solutions, and they are definitely not the “be all end all” of happiness… Therapy, behavioral modification (including learning to think of and cope with conflict differently, learning budgeting skills or other basic skills, or things like dropping habits that are weighing you down), getting involved in something positive and healthy (hobby, sport, a good job, etc), exercise, diet, and service are all wonderful, if not more productive than taking a pill alone. Sure a lot of times it’s chemical, so we can start with exercise and diet if you can. Well I can’t say what anyone should do.
It just bugs me when these depression commercials ALWAYS end with giant smiles and huge shopping trips, extravagant vacations, nice things, romance, a beautiful clean house and adorable perfectly behaved children. Because this little pill is just sure to bring, gorgeous white teeth and laugh lines, endless money, endless free time, fix broken relationships, or create new wonderful ones, make everyone want to serve you, and hire and pay for a maid, perfect linens and furniture, and sparkling children who love to lay around and smile at you. That’s NOT REALLY LIFE, no matter how good things are.
That’s not real life. Sure a pill can help, and be the crutch to gaining new coping tools or get through a bad time, or if things are enough off what they could be, or are bad enough, modern medicine can be a good permanent help, I’m not going to argue that, and that decision is ultimately between a person, their God (if they choose to include him in their life), and their doctor, if they have a good trustworthy doctor, but medicine is not the only answer.
It’s giant red flag for me when someone advertises that they can fix everything, cause nobody can do that. Nobody should pretend to have all the answers or know what somebody else is going through, and act like or claim that they can fix it without investing anything into actually helping out. Especially someone with an open hand and no offer for any other type of “help.”