Source: Dumb Little Man
In 2016, the comedic YouTube creator iDubbbz uploaded a video of himself jumping off the back of a car into a wheelchair saying, “I have crippling depression.” He says these words self-deprecatingly and almost mockingly. It’s as if to tell his viewers that it’s OK to laugh at the “play” on words.
Yes, depression can be so crippling that it can feel as extreme as a physical disability.Since then, the internet community has been flooded with conversation and viral contents satirizing not only the term “crippling depression”, but many other aspects of mental health.
Such content raises this question:
Is turning psychological conditions into something humorous beneficial or detrimental for those actually suffering from them?
In the case of iDubbbz’s video, which was originally made for laughs, serious conversation developed around the term “crippling depression”. It was an all-too-familiar feeling for those diagnosed with major depressive disorder.
In today’s internet culture, psychological conditions have become a topic where users can openly discuss and joke about them. It makes them more relatable and less frightening. Given that, historically, mental health was something that was rarely spoken of. Going to therapy was even deeply stigmatized. This prevented people from seeking the help they needed.
Humor, in particular, gives this community a more comfortable and engaging way to communicate their challenges with each other. It also makes their experiences more relatable to those who may not be as familiar.
Crippling Depression and Major Depressive Disorder Explained
To answer the question of whether humorous content about mental illness is ultimately beneficial or detrimental, let’s first define crippling depression.
The online therapy company Talkspace defines crippling depression or major depressive disorder as depression that is “severe to the point of limiting basic functioning, including the ability to work and live normally”. This type of depression can leave someone in a state where every task becomes mundane. It makes living a functional life more difficult.
Living with major depressive disorder can be debilitating. Sometimes, it can ruin relationships, work, and daily life. It makes it impossible to accomplish even the simplest tasks.
Depression is a challenging condition in that its early, milder symptoms can be exacerbated if not addressed quickly. Symptoms such as changes in appetite, malaise, and insomnia can cause someone’s mental health to deteriorate even further, driving them closer to major depressive disorder.
Due to the severe effects depression can have on a person, it can quite literally be crippling. It can restrict its victims to a bed without the willpower to get out.
In an account from Everyday Health, a person with clinical depression says, “I couldn’t wait to go to sleep, but I’d wake up at 3 a.m. and not be able to fall asleep again”. Having this condition can make it hard to live a normal life, no matter how much the sufferer wants to. Facing the world becomes tiresome. Any relief from the feeling is certainly welcome.
To an outsider, the severity of these conditions can make it seem like those suffering from them might be isolated from others. The internet provides a way for those people to stay connected with others.
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