Posted by Urban Cowboy (other posts) on February 23, 2010 at 18:01:38:
In Reply to: Re: In Search of Andrew Koenig posted by Charlie on February 23, 2010 at 14:26:36:
: Hey An', agreed depression is not a good thing to go through. Been there myself . Hope all continues to be well with you my friend.
: Charlie
Hi Charlie,
Since I've already replied to your post on MLHH about Andrew Koenig over there, I'd just like to add my own comment re. the topic of depression in general, here...
Yes, depression is a tough nut to crack. Back in Y2K, for example, which is the year I impulsively cut off all my waist-length hair, I foolishly did so because of being depressed at the time (I was going through a lot of mid-life crisis issues, especially concerns over job / career, and insufficient money). I thought that by cutting my hair short that this would give me a new "lift" in life; but it ended up causing the exact opposite for me, -- I got even MORE depressed after that haircut (and the haircut did NOT "solve" those midlife crisis issues, to boot)!!!!!
Some varieties of depression are "situational" (which is what I believe I was going through back in Y2K); while others can be diagnosed as "chemical imbalances", needing meds. to help a person out -- or a bit of BOTH aspects as causes for the depression.
I'm very grateful to report that my brother and sister-in-law treated me to whatever therapy would help me out back in Y2K (I had no health insurance at the time), and it turned out to be a very positive and helpful thing for me. By the time my hair was starting to get long enough to be entering back into the infamous "awkward stages", my depression was definitely over, and I no longer felt the need for any further therapy sessions (much to everyone ELSE's dismay - LOL)....
On a more serious note, my birth mother, who was a very sweet and loving woman, took her own life when I was 10 years old, when my father had sent me away that year to a boarding school in Elgin, IL. It was devastating to me at that time to lose her; but, knowing my abusive and difficult-to-live-with father, I always understood somehow WHY she took her life in that way. Years later, after my dad married my step-mom and started behaving in the same abusive way, I only understood even better how people can sometimes feel very "trapped" by their unpleasant set of circumstances. Unfortunately, suicide never hurts the people you WISH it would shake up; but instead, hurts the ones you never intended on harming. Having learned this lesson the hard way at a very early age, I always try to remind myself of this fact whenever I get a little blinded by any "down times" in my own life now as an adult.
Sorry for rambling on about this topic a little more than I had planned to; but, I believe that depression is actually a lot more common for even "normal" people to go through than most folks are willing to admit!
Take care, -- and keep on growing that WONDERFUL head of hair of yours... for me, long hair is always a guaranteed depression-buster; so, all the more reason to grow it even looooooooonger!!!!
- Ken