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Nebraska

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Written by zombieluv 10. Jan 2008 02:42 PM

"I admire Bruce Springsteen because he's a heroic person who has lots of integrity and has this incredible body of work that is so vital."

I was listening to Springsteen earlier, which made me think about Elizabeth Wurtzel, in turn making me think about Prozac Nation. I think Wurtzel is important. She tells it all like it is. Her writing is so repulsive and honest, it's brilliant. And something I'll never forget.
Then I came across this formula -

happiness =
success
___________

expectations

Makes a lot of sense to me. I was reading an article about Elizabeth and how chemical imbalance is 'mythical and elusive.' She says:

"To ask anyone how he happened to fall into a state of despair always involves new variations on the same myriad mix of family history. There is always divorce, death, drunkenness, drug abuse and whatnot in any of several permutations"

I don't know. My childhood, aside from lacking affection, was normal. There was no death, alcohol, divorce, drugs. There was weekends at the beach, family restaurants, theme parks, zoos, I got everything I wanted almost. I don't recall my parents saying they love me. But I don't blame them. They probably felt like they couldn't. I give people that vibe. But there was also school. School was humiliating. I still think about things that happened in grade three. That is not normal. What really fucked me up was people telling me from the age of five that I could do anything I wanted. That I was smart. I just expected things to happen. I never put in any effort. So therefore I wasn't smart in the first place, therefore, I was already stupid when people told me I was smart, but somehow got even more stupid the more they said it, until high school, where they ceased saying it because I really had become stupid by that point, because they kept saying I was smart. Anyway, this is just stupid. There is no blame for me to put anywhere, I'd just like some answers as to why I'm like this, and I was always so against all the childhood bullshit, because unless there is some horrid memory i have repressed, i can't find any fault with mine. Because every time I ask my mother what the hell happened to me, she says "Every time I got one of your report cards, your teachers always said you could do anything you wanted."

If I ever subject another human being to the displeasure of being my child, I'll never lie. Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, God, all gone. No lies. No setup for disappointment. No dissillusions. Although, it's not always bad. I love Edgar Allen Poe. It's bordering on obsession. I read The Tell Tale Heart again today, and I just love it. But when I read To Science, all I could think of was Dawkins, and how he tears apart that arguement that science strips the world of all its mystery and beauty. It's so not true. Science saved my life. Science opened my eyes to the beauty and intricacy of the universe. It can't even be put into words how amazing, for lack of a better word, it is. Despite the inequality and anguish faced by so many, there's still too much good, and too much luck. I am endlessly asking myself what 'this' is. It's incredible really. Here we are, flying through space at a million miles an hour, and the illusion that we are all standing still is what's killing us.

I read the other day that 'dark matter' in the universe may not be some exotic substance. It could be the stopping of time. As the universe expands it gives the impression that galaxies and other various entities are speeding away from eachother, but this one guy put forward that maybe they are leaving behind a space filled with no time, making them look like they are going faster, and eventually time will stop throughout the universe. Everything will just hang in a frozen instant. That is awesome. I'd like to think Earth would still be around to be involved in such an event, but we'll be long gone by then.

I hate it that I lose sight of all these things. I lose the point of it all and get too wrapped up in how I feel. Like Woody Allen said in Manhattan "If there's one guy starving somewhere, I can't enjoy myself" that mindset envelops me sometimes. I certainly don't enjoy that I can go from the lowest of lows one day to the highest of highs the next, but I like this feeling, and I hope it lasts a while before I crash and burn.

Anyway, my point is that sometimes I feel like this is just who I am. After all, I think happiness is just a social construct, I don't know if it would exist in reality, but I don't care whether the way I feel is caused by biology or the fact my Father and I never discussed our feelings. What does it matter? I can't change those things. I can say I accept and let go until I'm blue in the face, but the memories don't get erased. Fact is that whatever happened, it shaped me to be who I am, and I feel like anything else would be a lie. But what do I know. I'm only saying all of this because I have depression.

Anyway.

I just read that coldplay are getting ready to release their fourth album. This makes me sad. My dad and I always listened to them together.

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Comments from the community:

Just gotta say what an impeccable taste in music you have.

Nebraska is just such a beautiful, heartfelt album (I have the LP as well as the CD!). "My Father's House", "Used Car", "Atlantic City"...dang, mental blank - the one where he's the cop letting his brother go free (where they'd take turns dancing with Marie as the band played "Night of the Jonestown Flood")...it's just an incredible effort from The Boss.

Sorry - I just don't come across many people who've even heard it. I know I'll be giving it a whirl again tonight.

Written by Deleted_User, 10. Jan 2008 03:43 PM

Zombie

Great music. He is certainly a great musician. I can relate to you from this diary entry and relating to the quote you put in your diary by Elizabeth Wurtzel. That quote is so true.

The memories certainly don't get forgotten no matter what we do to get rid of them.

Go Zombie!!!

Studying1

Written by studying1, 10. Jan 2008 07:33 PM

Hi zombie,

Oh....Brucie Babes...He can be my Boss anytime...I love him to bits! Been my all time sexy Man. His Butt looks great in a pair of Levi's and of course I love his music.

His Lyrics say sooo much. He expresses alot in his songs. I too, dont know many people who think and feel of him as I do, but thats okay with me.

It's nice knowing there are three other people I know now who like him, You, Studying and Lazy. I think if I ever had the chance to meet him my legs would turn to Jelly...lol!

Regarding Depression and the Chemical imbalance...being in the health industry myself, I do believe that it is a chemical imbalance for sure.

My Dep started thru overwhelming stress, too much stuff to deal with all at once and it depleted all my Serotonin, so I got Medication to build it back up.

As you will know... having Dep, causes stress, Anxiety/Panic, so in a sense it's a viscious cycle indeed.

Maybe the answer is to look within ourselves, to do what makes us happy and content in our lives. Not depend on another for our happiness or emotional fulfillment, but give it to ourselves and then if we get some back from another thats a Bonus...Dunno just a thought.

Thanx for your post it's put a smile on my Face Re: Bruce...

All the Best zombie xxx



Written by cherry1, 11. Jan 2008 01:33 AM

Wow-what an articulate post zombieluv!
Don't tell anyone, but I love the Boss too.

Written by Deleted_User, 11. Jan 2008 09:55 AM

Hey Zombieluv

Great entry. Really enjoyed reading it.

I am another 'Boss' fan so you are far from alone....

I totally agree that we are just the product of our upbringing, what happened happened and there is nothing we can do to change it..... but.... we can understand how it has shaped and moulded us.

Enjoy your music and take comfort from it.

Girlie

Written by girlie, 11. Jan 2008 03:23 PM