As part of my normal morning routine, I scour the Internet for inspiration. It’s a routine I’ve followed for seven years, since I first sat down behind a desk at a salaried job (when I was still attempting to get over on a system that long ago absorbed me into its fold). When I scour, I’m not looking for godly inspiration, the type manifested in the new age music sold and marketed by Christian bookstores like Cokesbury; or a Tony Robbins, self-help styled motivational boost. Basically, I’m looking for ideas that ignite my mind, urge me to care a little bit more about a specific topic.
This morning, I discovered a video from Levni Yilmaz (h/t: Stephen Elliott on Twitter) titled “How To Cope With Depression.” In the video, Yilmaz talks about five encounters with five different people who gave him five different ways to deal with his depression. It’s an honest, straightforward approach in talking about depression. I’ve had these same conversations with people over the years, been looked at like I was an ingrate for being depressed. I’ve been told, so many times, that I should just be happy. But if it were that simple, something so easily fixed, why then are millions of Americans suffering? The video ends with some great repetitive humor, something that any depressive, self-deprecating person can appreciate. After all, it’s a tool for survival.
