Depression and Sadness

[deanmass]

Cool...

 

You got some help..That was my main point.

 

It is nice to have someone who is neutral give you validation of what you are feeling and why, isn't it?

 

Best wishes..

[tunesmith]

I'm new here, but a longtime lurker and poster over at Gearslutz, and I just thought this was an interesting thread that I wanted to comment on.

 

I, too, suffer from a mildly bi-polar personality. I think, frankly, it's part of being an artist or a creative person. We have to be "in the moment," and when you're depressed, being, "in the moment" is a biatch.

 

Glad to hear that that original poster is doing better, and I just wanted to comment on the previous post about altrusitic activities and their affect on me, personally. About three years ago, I inherited a HS choir at my church. It's a long story as to how I came to do this, and I will spare you all the details.

 

For a weekend in April, and then a full week in June, we sleep on church floors, and sing in homeless shelters, drug and alcohol rehab clinics, old folks homes, and detention centers for youth and adults, basically all of the least glamorous places in the world. We sing for people that are astonished that a bunch of rich SoCal kids would even bother to show up. It's a gigantic pain in the ass, but something strange happens...

 

For weeks afterwards, I have a sense of clarity and happiness that is not with me during the months inbetween tours. It's a combination of gratitude for the state of my own existence, and the satisfaction of giving someone a gift that doesn't involve money or a political motive.

 

All that said... there is a chemical released when we are generous or kind or giving above and beyond the call. I think it's the kind of joy we rarely allow ourselved in this culture of consumerism. It's a great anti-depressant, and you don't have to see a doctor to get it.

 

I know... I sound like Pollyanna.

 

But it's true...

 

Tunes.