So despite using this blogging thing for something like six months I didn’t realise there was a statistics function until very recently. More on those stats later but, as a follow-up to my Movember blog, I thought I would tell you that in just under a week that blog post was viewed more times than any other so far. Twice as often as its closest contender, in fact. Clearly people felt it was worth forwarding and sharing and that makes me feel like maybe putting it out there was the right thing to do. Either that or people like to laugh at my pain.
To be completely serious for at least five more minutes – the response to my blog has been overwhelming. Although no one has chosen to put their comment up on the blog itself for others to read I have had a number of people write or call me in person. A couple of you merely wanted to give the thumbs up and show your support but many more of you wanted to share your depression-related stories with me. It has only confirmed for me that depression is a disease of the smart, the beautiful, the funny, the lovely and the incredibly brave. And I feel really honoured that you chose me to open up to.
I would like to say again that if you, or someone you know, suffers from depression it’s important to get help. Depression can have a horrible impact and the person you love can change dramatically. Some people withdraw, others cling…some shut down emotionally and others explode. It can be frightening to see and it’s normal to want to distance yourself. What’s really needed is love, understanding, compassion and, in some cases, really awesome, amazingly powerful mood-stabilisers.
A week ago when I put this post up I was terrified. It was the most honest, real thing I’ve probably ever written and I was afraid there would be a backlash because I’d shared too much. The opposite has been true. Thank you all so much – keep reading, keep loving and if you’re in the bottom of the well, keep working towards a depression-free day in the sun.
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