My name is Wil Wheaton. I live with chronic Depression, and I am not ashamed.

[sl8]

From http://wilwheaton.net/2018/05/my-name-is-wil-wheaton-i-live-with-chronic-depression-and-i-am-not-ashamed/

My name is Wil Wheaton. I live with chronic Depression, and I am not ashamed.


I’m about to go speak to NAMI Ohio’s statewide conference, Fulfilling the Promise. These are the remarks I prepared for my speech.

Before I begin, I want to warn you that this talk touches on many triggering subjects, including self-harm and suicide. I also want you to know that I’m speaking from my personal experience, and that if you or someone you know may be living with mental illness, please talk to a licensed and qualified medical professional, because I am not a doctor.

Okay, let’s do this.

Hi, I’m Wil Wheaton. I’m 45 years-old, I have a wonderful wife, two adult children who make me proud every day, and a daughter in-law who I love like she’s my own child. I work on the most popular comedy series in the world, I’ve been a New York Times Number One Bestselling Audiobook narrator, I have run out of space in my office for the awards I’ve received for my work, and as a white, heterosexual, cisgender man in America, I live life on the lowest difficulty setting – with the Celebrity cheat enabled.

My life is, by every objective measurement, very very good.


...

More at link.

[Demovictory9]

1. Powerful

[Blue_Tires]

2. kick

[Soxfan58]

3. Wesley has adult children

Wow do I feel old. I also have dealt with depression for 20 years. Thanks Mr. Wheaton for your voice on this subject. Sometimes bootstrap don't help.

[More_Cowbell]

6. He got a head start on you

By marrying a woman with two kids. Don't feel bad!

[NewJeffCT]

7. I was surprised by that as well

However, I looked it up and they're stepchildren that his wife had from a previous relationship.

However, when the oldest turned 18, he asked Wheaton to legally adopt him, which he did.

Another interesting tidbit - Wheaton was college roommates at UCLA with Talking Dead host Chris Hardwick.

[Victor_c3]

17. It's hard to pull yourself up by the boot straps when you don't care

That’s the problem I felt with depression. I don’t care so why bother trying to get better? Then I turn suicidal, but that’s a different story.

I don’t know what happened exactly, but now I’m actually feeling halfway decent nowadays. I did TMS therapy about a year ago, I’m on a decent anti-depressant that works for me, and I’ve found a hobby that I massively enjoy. I’m a bit of a music nerd and I’ve really gotten into playing classical piano. When I wake up, it’s what I look forward to doing all day. I practice about 2-3 hours s day, but if I could I’d easily do 4-5 hours daily. Nearly everything I do is focused around me getting a chance to sit at a piano. To me, almost nothing feels better than the way I feel when I’m playing a really tough piece and working for an hour on a tiny section of a piece then I finally get it right.

I totally get lost in the music I’m playing and get feelings of contentment similar to what I feel to after sex - a primal need has been fulfilled and things are good.

[Scurrilous]

4. K&R

[wasupaloopa]

5. I have had chronic depression all my life.

I will be 72 this month.

The two things I have to say is that we learn to cope so people won’t notice. And if they do hopefully they will not tell you to snap out of it.

[CTyankee]

9. We have a good friend whose first wife had to be instiutionalized because her chronic depression

was so bad. He was fearful that she would hurt their two daughters and so he took them, got
an apartment and quietly arranged for a divorce. The daughters don't visit her because she blames them for her situation. Very sad situation but he married again to a wonderful woman who raised the girls.

[Victor_c3]

19. Yeah, I'm with you

(Sarcasm)
Everyone feels a little sad from time to time
(End sarcasm)

Depression is more than just being a little sad. I know I’m explaining this to someone who obviously gets it, but unless you’ve really experienced depression, there is no way to understand it.

I’m 38 and I’ve been dealing with major depression since I was 30ish - and maybe even earlier. I have a 9-year-old daughter that I see beginning to go down that path. She is very troubled in a lot of ways, but I really try my best to let her know that I really do understand how she feels. She is going to therapy (like me) and we talk a lot. Her mother can be very harsh to the both of us and I go out of my way to never yell at her or make her feel like crap when she does something bad or is mean to her little sister.

A few years back I had a very serious suicide attempt where I was hospitalized for about 3-4 months (I’ve had several less serious ones since) and the idea popped into my head “what if my daughter committed suicide? How would I feel?”. Since then, I’ve both found found myself more eager to seek treatment when I start feeling that way and scared that my daughter might follow me if I kill myself. That idea keeps me alive.,

Depression is a bitch. A little bit of understanding would go a long way in helping us and also making the world as a whole a better place.

[wasupaloopa]

24. When I was going thorugh as serious case of clynical depression my wife's parents were telling her

to leave me because I refused to "snap out of it." She stayed with me even though she did not understand what I was going through.

Years later my wife's brother survived a suicide attempt and my mother-in-law said that he needed to "man up."

I have been seeing my doctor for almost 30 years now. I take my "happy pills" as some folks call them every day.

I never feel happy and have to force a smile when someone wants to take a picture. I really don't have a memory of what a smile feels like.

But I'll get along because I am retired now and can choose to stay away for groups if I want to.

[KT2000]

8. I would encourage anyone with depression

to learn about possible toxic chemicals in their environment. Many chemicals in everyday products and building materials are neurotoxic. Unless measures are taken to reduce those exposures, most people are living in a soup of these chemicals in their own homes and outside as well. Some examples:
air fresheners, particle board in construction and furniture, fabrics, carpets, yard chemicals, personal care products, cleaning products, most scented products, and more.

EPA used to be a source for info about this but it appears the pages have been removed. Seek out info from environmental health organizations such as Environmental Working Group. ewg.org

Reducing these exposure will not cure but could help.

All the best to those who suffer with chronic depression.

[Amaryllis]

15. I can speak from experience to the truth of this. Also food allergies can do the same .

[hunter]

29. My mental health problems are very clearly genetic.

Me and my similarly affected siblings are the first generation to talk about it. Before that it was a lot of "be strong, tough it out" bullshit implying you were weak if you fell apart. And a lot of alcohol. Also suicides of the obvious sort, and the less obvious reckless behavior sort.

I take meds that seem to work well enough. I've been hospitalized for mental health issues when meds didn't work.

Like most of these things in human evolutionary history there is probably something beneficial in these "bad" depression and anxiety genes... provided one doesn't inherit too many of them.

Maybe the cheerful always optimistic people got eaten by the cave bears. I'm really good at recognizing the worst possible outcome of any situation. Sometimes I'm right, I told him a cave bear would eat him, but mostly I drag myself and everyone who has to suffer me down.

[KT2000]

30. I have found the always cheerful

to be somewhat mindless.
I am sorry you have to deal with this in your life though. Glad you found helpful meds.

[calimary]

10. WOW. Just WOW.

A truly remarkable dude. We’re avid “Star Trek: Fill-In-The-Blank-Here” fans. Very much including “Star Trek: The Next Generation”. We were amused by his Wesley Crusher child-prodigy character. He was a good enough actor that nobody ever knew about his inner demons.

BRAVO to him for stepping up and shining a light. Because he’s got this totally right, especially the part about the fact that so many people are hurting. There’s just one thing he got wrong: NOT true that he isn’t brave. He IS.

[Fritz Walter]

11. Y'know, I think we could all be nicer to Wil Wheaton

But my inner Stewie made me add this:

Stay strong, Wil! The world is a better place with you here.

[cate94]

12. Thanks for sharing this.

Great explanation of depression and anxiety. Good advice on coping mechanisms.

[Gothmog]

13. K&R

[Duppers]

14. Important article and subject.

And nothing to be ashamed of.

And it explains a lot of alcohol and drug abuse.

I fight depression every day; some days I lose.

[Victor_c3]

20. Yes!

Alcoholics and drug addicts usually have a need to turn to substances.

I’ve been dealing with alcohol dependency for a while and I’ve rubbed elbows with all sorts of substance abusers - including guys who have been to prison and everything else. The one thing I’ve learned is that these guys are, at their core, good people. They are just hurting and desperate. Being desperate drives a person to make some really destructive decisions. They feel regret, but need help and have nowhere or nothing to turn to other than substances.

[demmiblue]

16. Wil Wheaton on Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Chronic Depression, and Recovery (Project UROK)

[Nitram]

18. Excellent piece.

I have suffered from anxiety and depression. Someone like Wheaton can do a world of good by sharing his story the way he has.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

21. So good to see him unmask Depression.

It’s such a shame-triggering condition.

Thank everything good that enabled me to find the meds that work...I can have a life instead of being stuck in bed 3/4 of my life. So crippling, and yet, you think you’re a moral and personal failure for being unable to function when it flares up.

[forgotmylogin]

22. I grew to love Wheaton on his Geek and Sundry series TABLETOP

They show the entire play of a (possibly obscure) boardgame! His wife and sons have guested on episodes.

Ticket To Ride with Colin Ferguson, Anne Wheaton, and Amy Dallen
(The infamous episode where Wil's wife Anne accidentally destroys the board layout)

Forbidden Desert with Felicia Day, Alan Tudyk, and Jon Heder

Cards Against Humanity (warning, very NSFW) Aisha Tyler, Laina Morris, & Ali Spagnola

[Delphinus]

23. Powerful.

Needs to be shared.

[Stuart G]

25. Question...What comedy series does he work on?..thank you for answering...

Is the series..."Table Top"...the one discussed above, or another one...never saw it or heard of it...

[Glorfindel]

26. "The Big Bang Theory"

And what a brave, kind man he is to share his story of depression with the world.

[Stuart G]

27. Thank You for your post...I will start watching that one...

Thank you again ...and you are correct..very brave and kind to share his story...Stuart

[Aristus]

28. Wesley Crusher was an annoying little shit. But Wil Wheaton is a stand-up guy.

My wife (a devout Trekker) and I like and admire him very much. He just seems so thoroughly decent.

And now he's advocating for understanding of clinical depression. That's wonderful.

As a medical provider, I visit daily with patients who have depression, and so many of them are convinced they have depression because they did something wrong, or are defective human beings, or something. I try to convince them otherwise and make sure they get the treatment they need.

[gopiscrap]

32. welcome to DU