Crossing the Line
What happens on the other side
When we first meet, you won’t notice anything. All you see is a moderately charming, well-put together, and most importantly normal woman. Of course you do. After all, I’ve had decades to perfect my facade. Even my closest friends have no clue, and we go back 20 years and more. So, don’t feel bad if you didn’t pick it up right away. It’s not your fault.
But don’t worry. I’m not a secret serial killer or pedophile. I’m not even your (un-) friendly neighborhood psychopath. I’m just one of the thousands struggling with depression.
Most of us get really good at hiding how we feel. There’s no use talking about it. Believe me, I’ve tried. It’s not that people are callous or don’t care about you — you wouldn’t approach those in the first place. I also don’t think there is much stigma attached to this condition. After all, everybody has a lousy day every now and then, and roughly 15% of adults experience depression in their life.
So that’s not it. It’s just that most people don’t know how to respond. Go ahead, try it yourself:
I’m not feeling well. You know, sometimes I think if I jump off a bridge, nobody would care.
What do you say to this? “I would care,” is not really useful because once I have…
