"Depression is being sad when everything is going right."- Kevin Breel
I watched an amazing video the other day, apparently it has been viral for quite a bit of time now, anyway it was a TED talk done by Kevin Breel, much has been written about Kevin already since his rocket to the spotlight after this particular TED talk. The core of the TED talk which runs about 12 minutes, Kevin explains what it's like to suffer from depression, especially at such a young age, he is 19. I've watched probably hundreds possibly thousands of TED talks throughout the past few years and have never written or raved about them other then to my small circle of friends or relatives, not to say that none of them weren't enlightening, they were all great in teaching me some new concept or profound idea, or just great at expounding upon some already complex thought I had; so what makes this talk different? Well, as many who know me personally may know I am Bipolar II, I have been probably for most, if not all of my life, however I was officially diagnosed at age 22, before that I spent years of what was diagnosed as severe depression and borderline personality disorder, all pretty technical names to say what Kevin said in the quote above, I was sad when everything was going right. HOW PROFOUND! I spent years of my life trying to explain to friends, family, girlfriends, and my now wife what being clinically depressed feels like. It has been even harder for me as mental illness is not so widely accepted in the church, many people look down on you as if you are "crazy, or possessed", it is difficult to live with any mental illness in the world but to carry that same stigma into the church as well, a place where the broken go to be healed and the weak go for strength makes it increasingly difficult to be strong and bold about your struggles. I won't go on too long about the video, I would rather you all enjoy it for yourself, but I wanted to say how amazing this video has been in not only shining a spotlight on mental illness, but helping so many people to understand what people like us with mental illness lives are like. I ask that you all watch the video after the break, and help to "Stop the Stigma", of mental illness and help raise awareness.
Also feel free to leave a comment I would love to start a dialog about mental illness, in the world and in the church, and how to help those who are suffering.
This sounds cliche' but if you are struggling with mental illness, depression or suicide, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
How to get help for Depression and mental illness
