Katie Mitchell
Aug 31, 2018 · 2 min read

First of all, thank you for kind words about my piece. But more to the point, I LOvE the honesty of your comment/question.

I like to think that there is no perfect. That’s what makes things so beautiful.

I also think that when the day comes that mental illness can be talked about as commonly as we talk about physical illness, we will all be healthier for it. Just like there is a spectrum of ills from having a cold, or sinus infection up to stage 4 cancer, mental illness has a wide range. There are many different reasons have mental and physical illnesses, be it born with or through experience or environment.

And — in my opinion, “depression” is a wide ranging subject. I’ve been depressed many times in my life. I’ve been blue, I’ve been grief stricken, I’ve been bummed. Like you, I don’t think it should always be “fixed”. Unless it gets in the way of being able to function, or if someone needs a boost to be able to rise on top of it and get a more stable footing, or if someone has the degree of depression that absolutely will only benefit from medication or whatever, then thank God we live in the 21st century.

But I also believe we are supposed to feel ALL of our feelings. And pushing them away or down, does not dissolve them or make them go away. Sometimes, feeling that kind of longing or sadness, or darkness, makes the good times so much sweeter.

just off the top of my head in response to your thoughts

Best-

    Katie Mitchell

    Written by

    southern girl dreamer, writer, actress, calamity-mom, prefer vodka, podcast co-host of If it’s Not 1 Thing, it’s Your Mother www.ifitsnot1thingitsyourmother.com