Someone Says “Depression Is A Choice”, And Andy Richter’s Response Is Brilliant
Earlier this year we lost several beloved figures to suicide such as Kate Spade, Anthony Bourdain, and Avicii to name a few, re-starting a worldwide conversation on mental illness. However, despite the far from new dialogue surrounding depression many people still seem woefully uninformed on how it works and how it is treated. One of the most common uneducated ideas about depression is that it is something that can be willed away if you just try hard enough, and thanks to the internet those who have actually struggled with the disease have a platform to dispell this myth.
Comedian Andy Richter might be known for his hilarious one-liners on Conan O’Brien’s show, but behind the scenes, the entertainer struggles with depression
Image credits: Andy Richter
One Twitter user tweeted out a common misconception about the illness which set off the comic
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And prompted him to share personal details from his battle with depression
Image credits: AndyRichter
Image credits: AndyRichter
Image credits: AndyRichter
Image credits: AndyRichter
Image credits: AndyRichter
Image credits: AndyRichter
Image credits: AndyRichter
Image credits: AndyRichter
Image credits: AndyRichter
Others who have struggled with their mental health applauded his explanation
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And some even added their own explanations
A mental illness isn't a choice anyone would want to make. But being ignorant, rude and acting like an asshole is a choice.
@ Anthony (Asshole) Talak - Yes vegan as a choice, I've made that choice and I can tell you that. But let me ask you this: when did you choose to be straight? Because as a queer person, I sure as hell wouldn't 'choose' getting yelled at, beaten up, or threatened with rape just to be 'special.'
@ Lisa Dee - I wasn't saying that people 'choose' to be gay or straight or anything else. It's a rhetorical question aimed at people who think that you can 'choose' to be gay. I wasn't trying to offend straight people. Also, I (and many other LGBT folk) use the term queer simply to mean 'not straight'. Yes, it has been used as a slur in the past, but we have reclaimed it and are proud to call ourselves that.
Oh Sage Jay....... I didn't choose to be straight. That's the way it just sort of happened for me, as it did for you to be 'queer' (BTW I don't like that term... it also means weird. I don't teach that word to my kids). I'm so very sorry you got so abused just for being your real self. I mean, this is 2018, REALLY? I am very Christian, and mostly conservative I guess. I am teaching my kids that some boys like boys and some girls like girls and some like both. It's all ok, cuz God doesn't make junk. What's most important is to live your life truly, how you feel inside and how you wish to look outside. I hope I'm doing right, but I think I am.
Oh Sage Jay and Lisa Dee, I just love you both.
I think (as Lady Gaga said) some ignorant, rude assholes ARE born that way.
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People choose to be gay or vegan... so yeah there are people out there that would make it.
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qed.
Depression and Anxiety can hit anyone, anywhere, at any time. For multiple reasons, or sometimes no reason at all. A chemical imbalance in the brain, not a "choice". Those who have never experienced the extremes of this illness have no right to judge and give half-assed "advice". Leave it to the Professionals who know what they are talking about.
They're part of life. Trying to live like they don't exist, it's simply no sense.
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But for some they are told the depression is caused by excessive drinking but then choose to get drunk...some are already depressed with 2 kids but then choose to have another 2 and end up more depressed... some are depressed because they don't have much money, so they choose to quit there job and stay home and get more depressed because they end up with no money. There are cases where people 'choose' a path. There are cases where people are offered help but they want a quick fix or they want you to give them money to solve their problems. There are plenty of people who have mild depression caused by their actions and their surrounds and they 'could' change things if they wanted to - these people have a choice. But then there are people where stuff happened and it's out of their control. There are some who have chemical imbalance caused by medical reasons. These people don't have a choice.
Paul, causes of depression aren't as cut and dried as you describe. My causes seem to feed into each other, they have a habitual component and a situational and chemical component. For example, I've been socially awkward since my 30s, because my treatment wasn't appropriate. That caused me to react uncontrollably and my work and reputation have suffered. I have not flourished and that makes me feel more hopeless. Untreated depression and BPD are rampant on both sides of the family so I developed dysfunctional coping habits that at middle-age are difficult to change. Anemia takes away my energy, etc, TMI, right? All the symptoms feed the cause like an endless circle. Unfortunately, your comments sound quite judgmental.
people who've never experienced depression don't understand it. They confuse it with being sad or being in a bad mood (and there's nothing wrong with that BTW). Thanks to Richter--the last thing a depressed person needs to hear is that it's his/her fault
I struggle a lot with the question of choice, telling myself I'm lazy, pathetic, and believing I'm not trying hard enough to deal with it. And, I'm a high-functioning depressive, go figure.
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But it can be. Depression is different for everyone. But for some people it's because they chose drink or drugs. For some it's because they put too much pressure on themselves to succeed. For some it's because they are not willing to help themselves and expect others to help them. These people do have a choice and arguable their depression is self inflicted - doctors will tell you that for some patients no amount of medicine or outside help will do anything because it's them that needs to change and it's their choice. But there are also people who are depressed for reasons out of their control (someone dying etc). Sadly we put everyone into one box and say "it's not your fault" when in some cases it's tough love that's needed and a good kick up the ass. Not all depression is the same. And some people do choose to be depressed (they just don't want to blame themselves)
You've never experienced clinical depression and completely misunderstand that those "reasons" (drugs, drink, self inflicted etc) are actually responses to the depression as opposed to being the cause.
A mental illness isn't a choice anyone would want to make. But being ignorant, rude and acting like an asshole is a choice.
@ Anthony (Asshole) Talak - Yes vegan as a choice, I've made that choice and I can tell you that. But let me ask you this: when did you choose to be straight? Because as a queer person, I sure as hell wouldn't 'choose' getting yelled at, beaten up, or threatened with rape just to be 'special.'
@ Lisa Dee - I wasn't saying that people 'choose' to be gay or straight or anything else. It's a rhetorical question aimed at people who think that you can 'choose' to be gay. I wasn't trying to offend straight people. Also, I (and many other LGBT folk) use the term queer simply to mean 'not straight'. Yes, it has been used as a slur in the past, but we have reclaimed it and are proud to call ourselves that.
Oh Sage Jay....... I didn't choose to be straight. That's the way it just sort of happened for me, as it did for you to be 'queer' (BTW I don't like that term... it also means weird. I don't teach that word to my kids). I'm so very sorry you got so abused just for being your real self. I mean, this is 2018, REALLY? I am very Christian, and mostly conservative I guess. I am teaching my kids that some boys like boys and some girls like girls and some like both. It's all ok, cuz God doesn't make junk. What's most important is to live your life truly, how you feel inside and how you wish to look outside. I hope I'm doing right, but I think I am.
Oh Sage Jay and Lisa Dee, I just love you both.
I think (as Lady Gaga said) some ignorant, rude assholes ARE born that way.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
People choose to be gay or vegan... so yeah there are people out there that would make it.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
qed.
Depression and Anxiety can hit anyone, anywhere, at any time. For multiple reasons, or sometimes no reason at all. A chemical imbalance in the brain, not a "choice". Those who have never experienced the extremes of this illness have no right to judge and give half-assed "advice". Leave it to the Professionals who know what they are talking about.
They're part of life. Trying to live like they don't exist, it's simply no sense.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
But for some they are told the depression is caused by excessive drinking but then choose to get drunk...some are already depressed with 2 kids but then choose to have another 2 and end up more depressed... some are depressed because they don't have much money, so they choose to quit there job and stay home and get more depressed because they end up with no money. There are cases where people 'choose' a path. There are cases where people are offered help but they want a quick fix or they want you to give them money to solve their problems. There are plenty of people who have mild depression caused by their actions and their surrounds and they 'could' change things if they wanted to - these people have a choice. But then there are people where stuff happened and it's out of their control. There are some who have chemical imbalance caused by medical reasons. These people don't have a choice.
Paul, causes of depression aren't as cut and dried as you describe. My causes seem to feed into each other, they have a habitual component and a situational and chemical component. For example, I've been socially awkward since my 30s, because my treatment wasn't appropriate. That caused me to react uncontrollably and my work and reputation have suffered. I have not flourished and that makes me feel more hopeless. Untreated depression and BPD are rampant on both sides of the family so I developed dysfunctional coping habits that at middle-age are difficult to change. Anemia takes away my energy, etc, TMI, right? All the symptoms feed the cause like an endless circle. Unfortunately, your comments sound quite judgmental.
people who've never experienced depression don't understand it. They confuse it with being sad or being in a bad mood (and there's nothing wrong with that BTW). Thanks to Richter--the last thing a depressed person needs to hear is that it's his/her fault
I struggle a lot with the question of choice, telling myself I'm lazy, pathetic, and believing I'm not trying hard enough to deal with it. And, I'm a high-functioning depressive, go figure.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
But it can be. Depression is different for everyone. But for some people it's because they chose drink or drugs. For some it's because they put too much pressure on themselves to succeed. For some it's because they are not willing to help themselves and expect others to help them. These people do have a choice and arguable their depression is self inflicted - doctors will tell you that for some patients no amount of medicine or outside help will do anything because it's them that needs to change and it's their choice. But there are also people who are depressed for reasons out of their control (someone dying etc). Sadly we put everyone into one box and say "it's not your fault" when in some cases it's tough love that's needed and a good kick up the ass. Not all depression is the same. And some people do choose to be depressed (they just don't want to blame themselves)
You've never experienced clinical depression and completely misunderstand that those "reasons" (drugs, drink, self inflicted etc) are actually responses to the depression as opposed to being the cause.