I just had a complete mental breakdown. My dad made me promise him that I wouldn’t go back to “that dark place”. Little does he know I’m already in the darkest place I could ever be in.
I had to laugh. Promising that you won’t go back to that dark place is like promising you won’t get mugged while walking down the street. It just happens and we have very little control over it. If he’s so concerned, your dad is the one who should promise that he’ll protect you, right?
I told him that I have no control over what goes on in my mind and if I did have control over it I wouldn’t be in this “place” to begin with, however it fell on deaf ears. Eh, how do you expect someone to understand something when they’ve never experienced it?
You gave him the perfect answer. I’m sorry he couldn’t grasp that simple concept. I guess “normal” people think depression is a choice, which is why they say stupid things like “don’t go back to that dark place” and “snap out of it” and oh my favorite “you have to WANT to get better”. Imagine telling that to a cancer patient. Btw my parents are the same as your dad. It really sucks, doesn’t it?
Sounds like your dad doesn’t want to deal with it. That’s sad. He should go into therapy too so he can get a better understanding of what you’re going through.
He means well but has never experienced depression or mental illness, he’s always had that optimistic outlook on life and thinks I can have the same by shoving words down my throat. But, unfortunately it does not work like that.
6 comments
I had to laugh. Promising that you won’t go back to that dark place is like promising you won’t get mugged while walking down the street. It just happens and we have very little control over it. If he’s so concerned, your dad is the one who should promise that he’ll protect you, right?
I told him that I have no control over what goes on in my mind and if I did have control over it I wouldn’t be in this “place” to begin with, however it fell on deaf ears. Eh, how do you expect someone to understand something when they’ve never experienced it?
You gave him the perfect answer. I’m sorry he couldn’t grasp that simple concept. I guess “normal” people think depression is a choice, which is why they say stupid things like “don’t go back to that dark place” and “snap out of it” and oh my favorite “you have to WANT to get better”. Imagine telling that to a cancer patient. Btw my parents are the same as your dad. It really sucks, doesn’t it?
My personal favourite: “do positive things that make you happy”…uhhh…
Sounds like your dad doesn’t want to deal with it. That’s sad. He should go into therapy too so he can get a better understanding of what you’re going through.
He means well but has never experienced depression or mental illness, he’s always had that optimistic outlook on life and thinks I can have the same by shoving words down my throat. But, unfortunately it does not work like that.