The Town of Depression

This piece is dedicated to Kate Spade and my brother, David Taylor, who had absolutely nothing in common...and yet, everything in common 💜💙

Some people travel to a town to visit for a little while. Perhaps life circumstances have led them to the point where they are forced to visit this new location. They see the sights, hear the sounds, smell the air, touch the water, taste the cuisine and are sometimes, fortunately, able to decide if they should stay or if they should leave. It is never easy to leave this town, no matter the circumstances; but for some, it can sometimes be done with the right help and support. Sadly, for some, they are unable to leave due to just getting stuck in a routine in this new town and they almost get sucked in to the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feels that grow to be so familiar that they can't imagine ever finding any other place to live.

Some people live in this town, that people often visit, and sadly are unable to leave no matter how hard they try. They fight to get out of there with all of their might. Sometimes they attempt to find new hobbies, books, music, passions, careers, etc. that they hope will lead them to a new place. Sometimes they pack up their bags and attempt to find a new destination to live. Sometimes they tell people that they are trying to move and ask for help and support. Sometimes they try to find people that will motivate them to leave and never return, because they so desperately want to get out of this town. Sometimes they have family and friends begging them to move away and find another home to live in. But sometimes the sounds, smells, tastes and feelings are so familiar that they often always find their way back to their town no matter how hard they tried to get away. This town is so powerful that it can convince people that they don't need to move and they should just live there for forever because it's “safe” there. This town can convince people that they don't need to tell anyone about their town for fear of judgment or not being able to understand how they live in these conditions. And sadly, this town can convince you that you are not worthy of living in this town or any other town, anywhere.

This town is not on a geographical map, but this town is lived in, and visited, all over the world. This town is visited and lived in no matter the person’s ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, family status, or any other factor related to an individual. This town is Depression.

With the passing of any suicide victim, celebrity to the world or a celebrity to one’s family, wounds are reopened for those who have lost someone to suicide and wounds are reopened for someone who has contemplated suicide. We as survivors of suicide know that the person who died by suicide was more than just the body bag and was more than the method of the way they died. The suicide victim was a daughter, or a son, or a mother, or a father, or an aunt, or an uncle, or a cousin, or a friend, or a coworker and they were deeply loved. We as survivors of suicide also know and have seen how depression can be totally unidentified until it is too late. We as suicide survivors want the world to know that depression is so very real. We as suicide survivors want others to know that they are not alone if they are living in the town of Depression. We as survivors of suicide know the town of Depression all too well ourselves, for many of us visit and live there after the loss of our loved ones to suicide. We as suicide survivors want people to know that there is help out there and there are people who understand.