When I was in the military, I was stationed in a clinic, where about 80% of the staff was on anti-depressants. At one point I was having a hard time coping, my ex and I were separated, I had just had surgery and some other things had come to the surface. I happened to think to myself......self, we have a psych staff to help us get through these kinds of things, so I think I'll make myself an appointment with one and unload all this to someone that is a professional and might have some insights to help me better cope with the turns life had taken.
I had made the appointment and cried and told him about when I'd lost my virginity to someone I had not chosen to give it to, and about my current situation, and that I was having a hard time coping because there was so much pain all at once. So he says to me, well it sounds like you're pretty depressed. I was sitting there thinking did you not just hear everything I told you? He then asks me if I'd like anti-depressants to help cope. I blew UP at this man. I basically told him how dare he suggest that this would be a fix for me, I wasn't and had never been determined to be clinically depressed, meaning that I had a chemical imbalance that medication would help to stabilize. I said sometimes crap just happens in life, and you cry because it's not pleasant, and if I came to you and said all this to you and was HAPPY about all this, then you should worry because all the stuff I'd unloaded were things that were heartbreaking, and happiness would be the inappropriate reaction to have to it all. I went on to berate him because if he wasn't the main problem medicating well over half of my command wrongly, then he was most certainly a big part of the problem.
I have a HUGE issue with this because those that over diagnose things, especially something as serious as this, have a tendency to make a crack judgment, toss people on medications that over time harm them, and if they didn't have a chemical imbalance, they most certainly will develop one. Not to mention the fact that it creates misconceptions, misinformation, mistreatment, and misunderstandings of the REAL danger, clinical depression. People begin to think things like, oh well I was sad because of life, so I took antidepressants and now I don't need them because I got over it, so everyone who's depressed can just get over it blah blah, and more nonsense. This is why people get overlooked, why they are misunderstood by family and friends, people who if they knew it was like a bus with no driver moving 90 miles an hour might be more apt to take a more loving and supportive approach. They might take the attitude, you know, when you're depressed you don't have to wear a painted smile with me, if you feel like crying, cry, and I'll hold you as tight as I can and love you as much as I can, and try to be whatever you need to help you get to the other side of the abyss. I think that what they don't realize is that someone who's in a depressed state can still find a joke funny, and laugh one minute but feel very alone or isolated the next. It's not something that is a simple thing with a simple fix, and some really awesome people have taken their own lives because of the over treatment, and misunderstanding of clinical depression.
This loss is a loss not just to their families, it's a loss to us all. These are people that will leave a big hole in the lives of the ones they've left behind, and in some cases, a loss of something in the lives of people they were meant to meet and never did. I just cry when I think of how much easier it would be to NOT overlook the seriousness of this, if it weren't for the over diagnosis and medication in cases where there are too many not clinically depressed being treated as if they were. It creates a problem not just with normal laymen but also with the medical side, where too many who are in serious need can be missed or overlooked. I can only hope that we learn to open our eyes and our hearts and try our best to understand those who may be in our lives and suffering from clinical depression, rather than giving them all too simple solutions such as just don't think about it, or move on, or get over it.
Alright, I think that's enough ranting for one day. On to more pleasant things....ART!!!
The first book I'm sharing I've shared before, but it was a long while ago, so I'll share a few pieces. I think after I've colored the whole thing I'll look up the actual artists pieces that she'd painted to see where we might see something similar and see something different in each piece. The book is from Jasmine Becket-Griffith called A Fantasy Art Adventure. The picture I've done most recently is the one titled Loup-Garou Noir. I tried to take a few pictures to show the lavender highlights I used to try and give some depth to her hair, but I'm not sure it comes through very well LOL. The other one I'm sharing as a great example of her art as well, but it's one I shared before. It's titled The World and refers to the tarot card of the same name. I can't remember when I shared it, but I think it's been a few years at least.
I also have another card to share from Rebecca Jones book, and I'll probably try and continue to do at least one each time throughout the year, then they'll be done in time for Christmas next year! At any rate, hopefully you will enjoy the ones I've shared today, and hopefully will share your art with me too.
Huggles to all, and be good to one another!
