I think it's always been normal for humans to compare themselves to each other, but we're so hyper-connected all the time now that it's driving us insane.
Mark MansonRead
Depression is a prison where you are both the suffering prisoner and the cruel jailer.
Interpretation
Depression can feel like a trap created by oneself, where both suffering and control coexist.
This quote by Dorothy Rowe captures the dual nature of depression, illustrating how an individual experiencing depression feels trapped in a mental prison. It emphasizes that not only do they endure the pain and suffering caused by their condition, but they also impose restrictions on themselves, acting as both the victim and the oppressor in their mental struggle.
In practice
In a seminar on mental health, someone can quote Rowe to illustrate the internal struggle faced by those with depression.
I think it's always been normal for humans to compare themselves to each other, but we're so hyper-connected all the time now that it's driving us insane.
I may have looked happy but inside I was hopelessly depressed.
It can be difficult for people to talk about it, because there still is that stigma around mental illness. But I would encourage people to do that, because they'll be surprised once they do 'come out' how many other people have had similar experiences.
Insomnia’s different,” I said. It was hard to explain this to people. “You know the light that comes on when you open the refrigerator door? Just imagine it stays on all the time, even after you close the door. That’s what it’s like in my head. The light stays on.
You can't fix yourself out of a mental health issue. You can't wake up and say, 'Today I'm not being depressed!' It's a process to get well, but there is recovery.
For me, depression is very much tied to my feeling that so much is being asked of me. I have to 'perform' rather than necessarily be myself. I have to perform a perfect Margo Jefferson, at an impossibly high level.
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