Dan Harmon-what he has said about depression
As a BetterHelp affiliate, we may receive compensation from BetterHelp if you purchase products or services through the links provided.
Author bio
The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter. The article then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.
Dan Harmon, the co-writer of the show “Rick and Morty” has written on Twitter about depression. This article will center on explaining what he said, and how he has shared his history of depression throughout his career and work.
Dan Harmon-what he has said about depression
Dan Harmon has been open about how to cope with depression on Twitter. In 2017, the co-writer of the show “Rick and Morty” was asked by a woman on the social network about how he would suggest one cope with depression.
And although many would have thought he wouldn’t even acknowledge the matter, he quickly came through and let the woman in on some of his thoughts on depression. As an answer to her questions he said:
“For One: Admit and accept that it’s happening.
Awareness is everything. We put ourselves under so much pressure to feel good. It’s okay to feel bad. It might be something you’re good at! Communicate
it. DO NOT KEEP IT SECRET. Own it. Like a hat or
jacket. Your feelings are real.”
“Two: try to remind yourself, over and over, that
feelings are real but they aren’t real. Example:
you can feel like life means nothing. True feeling.
Important feeling. TRUE that you feel it,
BUT…….whether life has meaning? Not up to us. Facts and feelings: equal but different”
“The most important thing I can say to you is please don’t deal with it alone. There is incredible, miraculous magic to pushing your feelings out. Even writing “I want to die” on a piece of paper and burning it will feel better than thinking about it alone. Output is magical.”
“Dark thoughts will echo off the walls of your skull,
they will distort and magnify. When you open your
mouth (or an anonymous journal or blog or
sketchpad), these thoughts go out. They’ll be back
but you gotta get em OUT. Vent them. Tap them. I Know you don’t want to but try it.”
This wasn’t the first time he came clean about mental health, and more specifically, depression. In an interview in 2014, he stated that blogging was the way he found to cope with depression. At that time, writing his feelings in a Myspace blog was what put him through a form of catharsis.
In the interview, he talked about some situations in which he felt bad and guilty. But he remembers that as soon as he wrote it out, he felt the guilt vanish. He considers that this was his form of therapy since he didn’t see a lot of benefit in therapy itself.
But it seems that even though he understands that for his process therapy wasn’t the best choice, he has made sure to work towards breaking the stigma around it by putting it as a part of the show “Rick and Morty” as something that would be beneficial to pretty much anyone.
Showing how accepting your feelings, and expressing them can be one of the most powerful weapons against depression. This led to an avalanche of people relating to what he was saying, who was extremely grateful for his kindness.
What can be taken from Dan Harmon’s Tweets?
So much can come to mind as you think about Dan Harmon’s Tweets about depression. The first thing to consider is the power of information and awareness. Having people, and even more so celebrities, discussing depression openly will cause people to know more about the condition.
Being aware of the signs of depression, how it can impact the person’s life, and when it can happen can be a great source of relief for someone that just feels they are different from before but have no idea why.
Aside from that, people having a better understanding of depression will allow them to talk about it with their loved ones in a less shameful way, and to open themselves to the support that someone going through depression needs.
Aside from that, in his Tweets, he talks about the different ways to look at your feelings. Being accepting towards them doesn’t mean acting as if they are always a reality, which can help you understand that even though that is how you feel now, this is not how you are going to feel forever.
One of the most important things in his Tweets centers on the way of coping with depression. He highlights how no one should deal with depression on their own. Finding ways to cope, and people to share your feelings with can be the most powerful weapon.
In his tweet, he talks about writing your thoughts and feelings, something that has worked for him. Which is known as a great way to externalize them. There is evidence that writing your feelings will not only allow you to vent about them, but will also let you look at them, and understand them better.
And even though those thoughts can, and most likely will come back, talking or writing about them, will put them in perspective and maybe prevent you from losing track of yourself and going to an even darker place.
What are ways to cope with depression?
The first way one should try to cope with depression is through professional treatment. You can try to look for a therapist and a psychiatrist. With the first, you will be able to talk about your feelings without any judgment. In that space, you may learn to deal with your emotions better, and create strategies to deal with depression.
The psychiatrist can help you manage the symptoms of depression through medication. But besides that, there are other ways you can cope with depression in your day-to-day life. One of them is trying to have a healthy life. Eating and sleeping well will most likely affect your energy levels.
Aside from that, exercising will help reduce your stress levels and improve your mood. You don’t need to do a big workout, at first, even a short walk will do the trick. You should also allow yourself to be around people you love.
Not only to vent about your feelings, but because you may feel supported in that environment, and being there can take your mind away from the negative thoughts, even if it is just for a little bit.
Meditation will also help you center yourself when you feel like the world is crumbling. It allows you to focus on the present. Aside from that, being open to doing new things can also help you cope.
You can try to do some volunteer work, or even get a new hobby. This may help you experience some positive emotions, and even give you some sense of accomplishment.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): What has Dan Harmon said about depression?
What are the benefits of journaling?
Journaling can be a great way to put your emotions out and cope with depression, as you write, you can externalize your feelings, which can help reduce your stress levels. It can also help you clear your mind, and help you make a more informed decision.
It also makes your emotions more clear to you, as you write how you feel m, and you read it. Gives you the chance to know, in-depth, how you are feeling about particular aspects of your life, or what is going on in your life in general.
Keeping the things you write can also be a great way to measure yourself, and observe how you have changed over time. You can go over your old writings, and get a sense of how you felt back then, and how you dealt with your emotions in each situation, which can, maybe, give you an insight into how to act on what is going on at the moment.
Is it okay to cope with depression without therapy?
It is hard to affirm if it is okay to cope with depression with or without depression. There are professional treatments that are known to help people cope with it, but since not everything works for everyone, it is important to think of what works for you.
It can be that you find out, as Dan Harmon has, that writing about your feelings is the best way for you to cope with depression. So you should stick to that. But always have in mind that having a professional you trust, to care for you can be another great way to learn how to deal with your emotions, and how to navigate through depression.
Does depression have a cure?
No, depression doesn’t have a cure. Rather than that, mental health professionals will say that depression will go into remission. That is because it is impossible to say the person will never get depressed again in their lifetime.
But when a person goes into remission they will be able to feel joy again and regain interest in things they love. What is important to keep in mind, once you are in remission, is that you should keep caring for your mental health since this is the only way to prevent a possible relapse.
What are the common symptoms of depression?
Depression can cause the person to experience intense sadness, but it will also make you lose interest in things, even ones you used to love. It will make your ability to focus, and your energy levels go down the same way as your self-esteem and your sense of self-worth.
Aside from that, it will change your eating and sleeping patterns, and cause the person to feel more isolated, empty, and hopeless as if they have lost their purpose in life. You can become more irritable, and feel guilty.
Depression will also cause the person to cry more often, and experience headaches, and pains. It can also lead to self-harm, and sometimes even to thoughts of death, and suicidal thoughts.
What causes people to become depressed?
Depression can happen for several reasons, and there are still many studies going on to understand it better. But it has been discovered that depression is connected to genetic factors, which means that a person that has family members with depression has a higher chance of getting depressed.
Aside from that, depression can happen as a response to a chemical imbalance in the person’s brain. But it can also be a response to a traumatic experience, such as the loss of a loved one, or going through a divorce.
Conclusion
This article centered on discussing what Dan Harmon, the co-writer of the show “Rick and Morty” has said about depression on Twitter. Aside from that, the article explained Dan Harmon has struggled with depression, and how this affected his work.
If you have any questions or comments about this article, feel free to write them in the section below.
References
https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/lessons-in-managing-depression-from-rick-and-mortys-co-creator/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dan-harmon-tweet-depression-advice_n_5a215534e4b03c44072ced2f/amp
Overcome Depression and Find Joy in Life Again with BetterHelp
