Like this newsletter? Or the Depresh Mode podcast? Like how it all exists? If enough people donate, we can exist. If they don’t, the whole thing will shut down. Go here, pick a level that works for you, then select DEPRESH MODE from the list of shows. And thank you.
Things TAKING ONE YEAR
I started carrying my book in May of 2017 and I have now set it down. Or maybe I started in 2015.
2015 - I had an idea for a podcast where I interviewed comedians about depression. Just comedians, just depression. The title I came up with was so stupid that I knew instantly that it was either the best idea I ever had: The Hilarious World of Depression.
2016 - Show launches after ONE YEAR OF PRE-PRODUCTION with a Peter Sagal episode where the Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me host reveals his struggle with depression for the first time.
2017 - I go to New York to pick up a Webby Award for Best Comedy Podcast, a development that confuses the creators and hosts and producers of, you know, actual comedy podcasts.
While in New York, I meet with my literary agent who urges me to get a book idea together, since podcast hosts are getting deals left and right.
2018 - Book proposal finally complete after ONE YEAR OF TINKERING, I return to New York where I’m courted by six different editors and agree to a deal with St Martin’s Press.
2019 - Finally finish writing the dang thing after ONE YEAR OF WRITING.
2020 - Dang thing gets published in hardback after ONE YEAR OF EDITING, show gets canceled, and I’m laid off from the company where I made the show. I try to take the show with me but am refused.
MY HEART BREAKS AND I’M STILL PROCESSING THIS.
2022 - TWO DAYS AGO. Paperback finally comes out and the cycle is complete. Except for all the relentless promotion I still have to do because that’s the way the world works.
I am exhausted. I hope you buy the book.
Kids can’t get access to mental health care
Which seems bad. Yeah. It’s bad.
More than 8 out of 10 parents said they’re at least somewhat worried about depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug use negatively affecting the life of US teens, while roughly three-quarters said they were worried about self-harm or pandemic-related loneliness and isolation.
More than 4 in 10 said they were very worried about alcohol and drug use, anxiety and depression affecting teens. Lower-income parents – those making less than $40,000 a year – were more likely than those in higher-income households to say they’re very worried about self-harm, eating disorders, depression and alcohol and drug use.
Counterpoint:
Thought exercises for mental health
CNET has an article you might want to bookmark for stress management. People are good at imagining things (although sleeping dogs are pretty talented at imagining barking-related conflicts) and can use that skill to address the horrible crushing tension of navigating through the world.
I liked this one:
Practice self-compassion
Anxiety sometimes presents as excessive worry that one isn't good enough or has negative traits. These thoughts, when played on a loop, can be demoralizing and can make everyday activities miserable. A way to combat this negative self-talk is to practice self-compassion. While it may seem odd at first, trying to see your current situation the way you'd see it if a good friend was going through it can be a start. Give yourself the kind of comfort you'd give a friend, instead of the harsh critique you often give yourself.
Another self-compassion exercise is to find and focus on a photograph of yourself from childhood. Instead of directing your thoughts toward your adult self, direct them to that child. Recognize that your adult self deserves the same kind of comfort that a child deserves, as you are also still learning, albeit different things.
Extreme low-quality photo sharing
Kilogram (think Instagram but mocking) is a photo site where all the images are compressed into 1k. Here are some:
Useless? Yes, of course. But kind of refreshing to see the latest development not be ever sharper. I don’t know, feels like a push against progress that I, oddly, enjoy.