The opposite of depression is not happiness, but vitality, and it was vitality that seemed to seep away from me in that moment.In a talk equal parts eloquent and devastating, writer Andrew Solomon takes you to the darkest corners of his mind during the years he battled depression. That led him to an eye-opening journey across the world to interview others with depression — only to discover that, to his surprise, the more he talked, the more people wanted to tell their own stories.
This eye opening talk provides the thoughts that every depressive thinks, the feelings that we have all felt, and the agony that we have all lived with. Not only does Andrew provide depressives with the realisation that we are not alone and that what we are feeling and experiencing is not just us alone, he also provides those who know someone, whether it is family, a friend or colleague, the foundations to understanding depression and those who live with it.
In his world wide study of depression, Andrew explored depression, what caused it, how some people are more resilient than others, and the mechanisms people use to survive depression.
Watch the entire talk here
[youtube height=”500″ width=”800″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eBUcBfkVCo[/youtube]
A final quote from Andrew’s talk…..
”I have learned in my own depression how big an emotion can be, how it can be more real than facts, and I have found that experience has allowed me to experience positive emotion in a more intense and more focused way. The opposite of depression is not happiness but vitality, and these days, my life is vital, even on the days when I’m sad. I think that while I hated being depressed and would hate to be depressed again, I’ve found a way to love my depression. I love it because it has forced me to find and cling to joy. I love it because each day I decide, sometimes gamely, and sometimes against the moment’s reason, to cleave to the reasons for living. And that, I think, is a highly privileged rapture…..”
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