Opening up about being mentally ill

[Whateverist]

Not sure if this is what you wanted this thread to become, Chris, but here is my contribution.




My name is Mark and I am a -knock on wood- one time sufferer of major depression. I would have been about Losty's age that time. I can hope that it was all the stressors -car accident/death of a loved one/divorce- in my life at that time which precipitated it and that I wouldn't/won't suffer it otherwise. But there are no guarantees. My mother was manic depressive and of my four living siblings all suffer from depression to some degree.

While out on disability from the car accident I slept an enormous amount and read a lot albeit very slowly - mostly until I would fall asleep again. I didn't eat a lot. Didn't take of things. Avoided social contact and felt out of the loop with 'normal' people. It lasted a year or two and gradually lifted. I never felt like: now I'm back to normal though. It has always felt like a discontinuity in my life from being one person to being another, if that makes any sense. For me accepting the new, seemingly diminished me, seemingly played a role in getting to my 'new' normal.