Rachel Maddow on her depression

Rachel Maddow gave an interview on Fresh Air that I thought really worthwhile.  I especially enjoyed her words on dealing with depression, from about 31:00 through 35:22.

She says that one of the "defining features" of her adult life is cyclical depression.  She describes it as "manageable, but REAL," and explains how her depression isn't all the time, it isn't pure sadness, it's disconnection.  This sounds very similar to what I experience (and am not at all experiencing right now! I'm just fine and dandy right now.). 

I've never heard someone express exactly her perspective on dealing with it.  I love it.  She talks about viewing it as a train that she sees coming and just riding it out until it's over.  For her, it isn't something to stop the rest of life and deal with; it's something to acknowledge and move through and wait out.  This seems like a really healthy approach for what I sometimes feel and exactly the approach I plan to take next time I feel separated from my life.

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A quick word about writing this post since it is out of place from my usual.  I don't write it for sympathy or to make you feel down, but to share a perspective that was encouraging in case you find yourself dealing with something similar.  A friend yesterday said she doesn't mind stating things she deals with (in her case, miscarriages) because she's able to talk about them relatively unemotionally and she's found that so many others later come to her to discuss the same issue.  It's good not to feel alone or broken!