How Do You Escape? - Distant Web

It's something that is talked about often, but never really "discussed" in as much detail as it should be. How do you know if you are sad vs depressed? What is the criteria? And...does it make a difference?

With everything going around in the last year or more of our lives, more people are depressed than ever. Pandemic, isolation, death, riots, political upheavel...do I need to go on? Probably not. Odds are that one of those things had your hand clench. And, honestly? That's ok.

No one is happy all the time. It simply isn't possible. But where is the line that tells you when you need to see a doctor or you just need a night out with your best friend? I'm not an expert, or a doctor. These are just the musings of a person who understands both sides. Both extremes.

You will face stress in life, this is an inevitability. We all will go through something that is just different enough from whatever normal we have created for ourselves that will cause our brains to go haywire. And when this happens your brain's response is to create a swirl of stress around you. And don't misunderstand, those with clinical depression often do not even need this trigger. Those of us who just dabble in recurring sadness and frequent bouts of depression typically need a catalyst.

I said, typically. Just remember that.

When the stressor happens, what is your kneejerk reaction? Do you drink? Do you curl up in a ball and pray for someone to fix it? Do you face it head-on and take it down? Which is the proper response?

I can't tell you that. What I can tell you is what I do. It's not perfect, but it helps me. As I sit hit here typing this I am facing stress, as we all are. In order to pick myself up and help not only me but anyone who relies on me, I can't just shut down. Shutting down is the exact opposite of help in a stress situation.

There are those who rely on me on a daily basis. And there are things that I have to do to keep things running. Are there days where I wish I had no responsibilities? Absolutely. But there is no solution to this. As we all get older, things happen and responsibilities are thrust into us or upon us whether we chose it or not.

In my life, I escape. When I cannot handle the strain of day to day life, or I have one of those catalysts I mentioned earlier, I escape. I'm not a runner, but I often can't handle things that are thrust upon me. I have to escape into something that brings me joy like nothing else. And, as I sit here, I think about those things and what I can do to help myself. Because you have to do that. No one will willingly jump in front of a train for you - you have to find a way to get off the tracks yourself.

In my case, I lose myself in words. I find a way to blend my mind into the words on my screen and I find solace in that. There are quiet moments in my life where I am only stuck in my head and my fingers are painting the picture that I need out. I let myself go and I feel...nothing. My fingers are doing the feeling. The way the keyboard feels freshly dusted and ready for me. The sound of the keys as I click as fast as I can, and the way that I allow the words to flow without fully conscious thought.

That is my escape.

What's yours?