hollywoodtone.blogspot.com Depression is neither fashionable nor funny
hollywoodtone.blogspot.com Depression is neither fashionable nor funny
Retail marketers say that you have to capture one's attention and close the sale before the next guy does or you will find yourself on the short end of the stick.
Well, Urban Outfitters (UO) grabbed plenty of attention with a cropped tee shirt, the word "Depression" scrawled all over it in black and white. But they couldn't close the sale on the shirts at $59 so they made a drastic price drop to $9.99 before pulling the product. The attention that UO caught was not what they were hoping; a backlash was created. As were many others, I was appalled when I heard of this tacky display in the name of fashion by a company that has a home page boasting slogans like "a fresh start" and "get fresh." If the designers of the tacky top only knew the damage they inflicted on the millions that suffer from the dreaded disease depression. A similar uproar was created by UO in 2010 with a shirt that had "Eat Less" inscribed on the front. People took took the blogosphere declaring the shirt encouraged eating disorders. But those claims pale in comparison to the pain inflicted on the depressed. Comments from many who claim to suffer from depression say they are not offended. Perhaps they don't understand their own disease and that these reminders can be very damaging to some. Depression is not easily explained and it can be extremely difficult to handle. For example, sitting at my desk, I try to focus while surrounded by a variety of stimuli. I have to continually "snap out of it" - 'it' being a state of mind or a state of oblivion - whichever is your point of view. For many, this state is not one of nirvana, but rather one that borders on the darkness of depressive thoughts. It is not a matter of simply feeling "blue." It is more a state of hopelessness that leads to helplessness. This state of mind can be crippling, even paralyzing. Mondays are my worst days. Every Monday! Some are fortunate enough to escape from the depths of this deep dark prison, that can shut out any glimmer of light, any glimpse of hope without notice. One individual that successfully emerged from the depths of the prison of his depressed mind is Bruce Goldstein, the author of "Puppy Chow Is Better Than Prozac." Goldstein's book will have you laughing and crying at the same time as you ascend to new heights and descend to new depths on his roller coaster ride of depression. Goldstein's escape from the death grip that his depressed mind had on him was facilitated by a black lab that he named "Ozzy" after Ozzy Osborne, the Prince of Darkness. His love and care for the slobbering black Labrador puppy was able to divert his mind from the dark depressive thoughts he had for himself and his situation. The story is truly a love story that demonstrates that when one surrenders one's own desires and needs to care for another, in this case "man's best friend," a dog. But as a sufferer of the dreaded "disease" of depression, I would say that those who have not suffered from deep depression or lived with someone that has cannot begin to understand the control that this "disease" - this "cancer" - can have. Some will argue that depression is not a "disease." Some say it is a spiritual condition. But the chemistry of the brain is so complex that even our spiritual condition, our belief system, our physical and mental wellness, is under the control of the millions of chemical changes occurring within our gray and white matter. Many people suffer in silence for fear of being stigmatized. If you know of someone, a loved one, a friend, and acquaintance, that you believe may be stuck in the deep, dark throws of depression, let them know that you are there for them, that you care, and that you are willing to stand by them and listen without judgement. And let Urban Outfitters know that their tactless designs are neither fashionable nor funny.
hollywoodtone.blogspot.com Depression is neither fashionable nor funny