I am always concerned how after so many years suffering from such disabling depression that some people really still think that recovery is a case of me just ‘cheering up’. Sending me something to distract me or force a smile does mean a lot and I know people are there but it can’t fix me. It can’t take away the blackness, the despair – it can’t bring back the senses that have disappeared such as taste and being able to tell if I am hot or cold. It can’t take away the fact that sometimes the depression is so severe that I hear things twice or constantly see flashes of light out if the corner of my eyes. It doesn’t stop the paranoia or the acute desperation. It doesn’t mean that all of a sudden I can sing again, enjoy something or even know when I am crying.
What I would say is that just some contact is better than nothing. In a week with limited contact/support 1 text can make a massive difference and I love my friends and family for that.