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When an artist's work resonates with you, it's only natural to look up to that artist and want to communicate with them. Maybe for inspiration, maybe for answers, or maybe it's because you just want someone to talk to that connects with you on a specific level.
For Twitter user @chojuroh, she reached out to Rick & Morty creator Dan Harmon on how to best deal with depression, an emotion that permeates through and is addressed in a lot of the show's writing.
@danharmon do you have advice for dealing with depression
And Harmon actually gave the fan a response that was well thought-out, in-depth, and, not to sound hokey, pretty hopeful.
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 reality. 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
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.
The most important thing I can say to you is please don’t deal with it alone. There is an 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.
@Chojuroh was floored by his response. One, because she couldn't believe that one of her favorite artists ever was actually talking to her on Twitter and two, well, because his advice was really good.
sorry I'm kinda star struck rn so I'm having a hard time articulating anything other than thank you so goddamn much for all of this. Probably better than my therapist could've said it. (And my boyfriend: "TELL HIM THANK YOU AND THAT WE SUBSCRIBE TO HARMONTOWN")
He also ended up helping a lot of his other followers in the process.
"Feelings are real but they aren't reality" you have no idea how much you just helped me. In an instant that statement put so much anxiety to peace. Thank you.
Fans appreciated his honesty and candidness in telling the fan to acknowledge their depression head on.
Thank you for this. You did more for anxiety/depression sufferers than any pill or therapist. Own our feelings, quit hiding behind the fake smile. You're an amazing guy for taking the question so seriously.
What strikes me most about Harmon's tweet storm is his point to tell people to actively deal with their depression with output. Do something about it. Be active with it.
It made me think of Patton Oswalt's touching Facebook post on the soul-crushing effects of grief and its ultimate uselessness.
So as difficult as it may be, when you're depressed or suffering from some pretty awful feelings, it seems like the healthiest thing to do, like Harmon says, is to do something about it. Seriously, if you're reading this and think you may be depressed, get help. You're worth it!
