Hello darkness, my old friend

Think of all your favourite songs, artworks, literature, movies. The ones that really REALLY shook you. How many of them came from a dark place?

No, I'm not trying to romanticise depression.

But if you find it “normal” to cry to that favourite song after you get dumped, and consider depression to be a “bad” word, something to be ashamed of, then clearly there's something wrong with how we as a society perceive depression in general.

Understand that the dark place which can give birth to beautiful works of art can also be uncontrollable for some people. And that doesn't make them “weak/selfish”.

Don't expect a person battling his/her demons to come to you and seek help; be a good human being and try to make their surroundings better.

– Karim Waheed, Editor, SHOUT