Depression is a common mental disorder
that affects people of all ages,
from all walks of life and in every nation.
– WHO, World Health Day spotlights Depression

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The worst part of being depressed isn’t the numbness, it’s the lies that depression makes you tell yourself. It tells you that your best friend on earth hates you. It tells you that if you were to confide in someone that they wouldn’t care. It tells you that you are the biggest disgrace to ever walk the face of the planet. You might reject these lies for a while but eventually you start to believe them. You start to push people away because you don’t want to be a burden. – Depression by Suzanne Davidson, 2016 Mental Health Week

At its worse, living with depression is suicidal.

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from 1994, Tupac
with Pain

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April 7, 2017 World Health Day spotlights Depression. 
The following, is in remembrance
of lives lost to depression, that in some way
touched The Neighborhood.

At Its Worse:
Depression is a Cold-Blooded Mood Disorder
by Kendall F. Person

Kurt Donald Cobain
With the stunning success of Nirvana’s 2nd studio album, Nevermind (75 million copies sold, worldwide) Kurt Donald Cobain, was not only one of the most popular entertainers of the time, but one of the most relevant voices of Generation X. Young, rich, famous and a new family to share it all with, on the surface, there was no one happier than the uber talented godfather of grunge.

But through the looking glass self, he saw an entirely different man: a washed up artist that would never overcome his addiction, thereby doomed to a life of depression. So ruthless the hallucinations in his reality, that even the joy of Frances Bean Cobain – his one year daughter – was no match for the pain created by an untreated mental health disorder.  On April 5, 1994 Kurt Donald Cobain put a shotgun to his head, pulled the trigger, and became a worse case scenario. – Breathe eps. iii Imagine 

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Phyllis Hyman
She was forever a wounded singer, unhappy living in the shadows of Whitney and Madonna. But to the fans that knew her music, she was our biggest star. And not until her untimely death, would we ever make a connection, that her beautiful ballads were desperate, lonely songs.

On June 30, 1995, just hours before she was scheduled to take the stage at the famed Apollo Theatre, Miss Phyllis Hyman would fall victim to a web of internal lies, that deceived only her. But that deception was enough for her to commit suicide by an overdose of sedatives.
– A Tale of Two Women

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There has been beautiful, there has been young, there has been rich and there has been combinations of all of the above, but funny is something almost unheard of. Funny is suppose to take the pain away. Funny brightens the mood and according to medical professionals, laughter produced from funny raises our pain threshold, reduces stress and enhances immunity by boosting our levels of antibodies.

Funny is not suppose to be sad.

It is no wonder, that the death by suicide of comedic genius Robin Williams sent shockwaves around the world. He was funny and he was very sad. On August 11, 2014, upon the unfunny revelation – that Robin Williams hung himself – sadness was all that was left.   – Unfunny: The Death of Robin Williams Spotlights Depression

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It’s all bad y’all…

— Freddy E. (@Freddy_E) January 5, 2013

Cruising in the 300 Chrysler. Wishing the world could be a little brighter. But all I can seem to find is this lighter. It’s all bad y’all.

— Freddy E. (@Freddy_E) January 5, 2013

If there’s a God then He’s calling me back home. This barrel never felt so good next to my dome. It’s cold & I’d rather die than live alone.

— Freddy E. (@Freddy_E) January 5, 2013

It’s… all… bad… y’all. *puts finger around trigger*

— Freddy E. (@Freddy_E) January 5, 2013

I love you Mom.

— Freddy E. (@Freddy_E) January 5, 2013

I love you Dad.

— Freddy E. (@Freddy_E) January 5, 2013

I love you Katherine.

— Freddy E. (@Freddy_E) January 5, 2013

God… please forgive me.

— Freddy E. (@Freddy_E) January 5, 2013

I’m sorry.

— Freddy E. (@Freddy_E) January 5, 2013

A promising career was not enough to convince Freddy E, a young man of only 23 years, to stick to the fight, when you’re hardest hit; it’s when things seemed worst, that you must not quit. But most troubling, was the jedi-mind tricked played by depression: convincing him that he was all alone, even as he expressed love to his parents and live-tweeted his suicide to his fans.

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Heather Workes, 
Heather, the time you spent in The Neighborhood, courageously telling your story and sharing your struggle, touched many lives. I had to take a long pause upon fully comprehending, that When the Abuse Stops was not just your reality, but the ongoing story of your life. I will always be grateful for the time spent with you, (and my good friend) and as promised, your presence here, has not been forgotten.

It is in your memory, in which we continue to search for answers, as how to make the downhill stop; and to bring and maintain awareness, that depression – while common  – is a cold blooded mood disorder, and no stigma exist that should prevent us from getting help.

On May 23, 2014, when Heather Workes took her own life, it was over a decade after the abuse had stopped.- In Mourning: The Neighborhood Remembers One of Its Own

Depression is treatable. Help is out there. Reach out and talk to someone you trusts. Talking may be your first step toward cheers.

*Note to An Aspiring Rapper
**Rapper Live Tweets His Own Suicide, The Verge

April 7, 2017 World Health Day spotlights ‘Depression’