I open my eyes and fix them on the ceiling. A heavy weight presses down on my chest. Another day……. God, why did you allow me to live another day? The heaviness continues to press as I contemplate the day ahead of me. My soul cries silent tears, Not again, oh please God why another day? Why couldn’t you let me slip away into the great dark night?
I roll out of bed and head for the bathroom to perform my morning ablutions
I lean again the sink and stare into the brown eyes that used to be so alive with dreams and plans.
Aren’t the eyes the mirrors of the soul? These eyes are dead and vacant. There are no plans and dreams shining from them There is nothing but emptiness.
My feet dragging, I being to prepare for another day of deep dark misery
In the car, on the way to work I carefully begin to construct my mask. I must have my mask of cheer lest any find that I suffer from something no one understands. How many times have I heard
1. "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps"
2. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself"
3. "There are a lot of people
worse off than you"4. "Happiness is a choice" (two prominent physicians)
5. "Have you been praying/reading the Bible?"
6. "This is a place of business, not a hospital" (after confiding to my supervisor about my depression)
7. "Depression is a symptom of your sin against God"
8. "Believe me, I know how you feel. I was depressed once for several days"
9. "Quit whining. Go out and help someone else and you won't have time to brood"
I smile and act as though the advice that I am given is actually worthwhile. I know they mean well, but it’s like telling a polio victim they will walk again if they’ll just think a little more positively. Saying something like that would be an insult and the speaker would be shamed by others for making such remarks. My favorite is, “Believe me, I know how you feel. I was depressed for once for SEVERAL days”.
I wear the mask all day and find my energy sapped by the end of the day. It’s all I can do to get home and crash. What does this do to my family?
I’m a failure……………a failure…….nothing but the shell of a man.
I keep my mask close by lest I need it…….but what I really need is sleep so I can recharge for tomorrow………another hopeless day.
Hoping against hope that the night will close in on me and stop this pain……………..please stop the pain.
