Roy Exum
Last week the famous author J.K. Rowling got a Tweet from one of her many fans that read: “This may get lost in the noise…but what would you say to someone who has failed to find meaning and wants to finally give up?”
Such a question from an unknown quarter would stagger me, but Jo Rowling, who battled deep depression when she was writing the first of the marvelous Harry Potter books, knew exactly what to do. She tweeted back an inspirational picture with the words, “I would say: Look at this.” A gorgeous picture of the moon immediately followed with the words, “And this.” A third picture of a cute monkey holding a doll was right behind it with the words, “And even this.”
At that point the 49-year-old writer sent the fan a message: “And I'd say, the world is full of wonderful things you haven't seen yet. Don't ever give up on the chance of seeing them.”
I don’t think it is a stretch to believe the woman who writes under the pen name of “J.K” because she once feared boys would buy books written by a girl, may have written her best lines last week. As her wizard Dumbledore wisely said in one of the movies, “Happiness can be found in the darkest times, when one only remembers to turn on the light.”
As America celebrates Mental Health Awareness Week, it is interesting that Rowling has talked openly about her depression many times. “I have never been remotely ashamed of having been depressed. Never. What’s there to be ashamed of? I went through a really tough time and I am quite proud that I got out of that,” she once told a reporter.
She told Oprah that she was going through a divorce, her finances were at the poverty level and she was coping with the book. When she did, a temporary doctor had replaced her regular physician and he dismissed her, saying, “If you ever feel a bit low, come back and speak to the practice nurse.”
Rowling later recalled, “We're talking suicidal thoughts here; we're not talking ‘I'm a bit miserable.’” So when her regular doctor returned, Jo tried again to get help. She was sent to cognitive behavioral therapy and after nine months, she overcame her deep depression. “The thing that made me go for help was probably my daughter, Jessica” she told reporters. “She was something that earthed me, grounded me, and I thought, ‘This isn't right; this can't be right. She cannot grow up with me in this state.’”
With attentive therapy and the book beginning to form, Rowling’s growing excitement soon pushed depression aside, but the most famous author in the world today has a complete understanding of the disorder that affects an estimated 14.8 Americans.
“Depression is the most unpleasant thing I have ever experienced...It is that absence of being able to envisage that you will ever be cheerful again. The absence of hope,” Rowling explained. “That very deadened feeling, which is so very different from feeling sad. Sad hurts, but it's a healthy feeling. It is a necessary thing to feel. Depression is very different.”
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SUICIDE’S WARNING SIGNS
It is a tough subject but in 2013 (the most recent year with full data available), 41,149 persons died of suicide, making it the 10th leading cause of death in America. White males made up 70 percent of the total with highest rate being people between the ages of 45 and 64.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline offers free and confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A person calling will speak to a specially-trained counselor. Simply dial 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). In addition, any calls to 1-800-SUICIDE are immediately routed to the Lifeline.
Here are some warning signs:
-- Talking about wanting to die or to kill themselves.
-- Looking for a way to kill themselves, such as searching online or buying a gun
-- Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live.
-- Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain.
-- Talking about being a burden to others.
-- Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs.
-- Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly.
-- Sleeping too little or too much.
-- Withdrawing or isolating themselves.
-- Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge.
-- Displaying extreme mood swings.
Help is available this very minute. Remember what the creator of Harry Potter shared with us – “The world is full of wonderful things you haven't seen yet. Don't ever give up on the chance of seeing them.”
royexum@aol.com