‘It will be sunny one day’- Stephen Fry’s inspirational letter to someone struggling with their mental health

Mental health champion, Stephen Fry has been in the news in recent days after sharing the sad news that he is fighting Prostate cancer.

Fry has been extremely open about his own struggles with Bipolar Disorder and has been a champion in raising much needed awareness on the issue. I wish him a speedy recovery because the world needs legends like him. Depression is such a lonely illness and it takes a lot of courage for people to reach out to others. But I love hearing of stories when someone does reach out and gets a positive reaction.

Crystal Nunn was going through a deep depression when she found the courage to send Stephen Fry a letter. Fry’s history with Bipolar Disorder is well documented, but never in a million years did Crystal think that Fry would reply to her letter.The letter which I’ve transcribed below is just beautiful, has a wonderful message and it well worth a read.

Transcript

April 10, 2006

Dear Crystal,
I’m so sorry to hear that life is getting you down at the moment. Goodness knows, it can be so tough when nothing seems to fit and little seems to be fulfilling. I’m not sure there’s any specific advice I can give that will help bring life back its savour. Although they mean well, it’s sometimes quite galling to be reminded how much people love you when you don’t love yourself that much.I’ve found that it’s of some help to think of one’s moods and feelings about the world as being similar to weather:

Here are some obvious things about the weather:It’s real.
You can’t change it by wishing it away.
If it’s dark and rainy it really is dark and rainy and you can’t alter it.
It might be dark and rainy for two weeks in a row.BUTIt will be sunny one day.
It isn’t under one’s control as to when the sun comes out, but come out it will.
One day. It really is the same with one’s moods, I think.

The wrong approach is to believe that they are illusions. They are real. Depression, anxiety, listlessness — these are as real as the weather — AND EQUALLY NOT UNDER ONE’S CONTROL. Not one’s fault. BUTThey will pass: they really will. In the same way that one has to accept the weather, so one has to accept how one feels about life sometimes. “Today’s a crap day,” is a perfectly realistic approach. It’s all about finding a kind of mental umbrella. “Hey-ho, it’s raining inside: it isn’t my fault and there’s nothing I can do about it, but sit it out. But the sun may well come out tomorrow and when it does, I shall take full advantage.”

I don’t know if any of that is of any use: it may not seem it, and if so, I’m sorry. I just thought I’d drop you a line to wish you well in your search to find a little more pleasure and purpose in life.

Very best wishes(Signed)Stephen Fry

The above letter was taken from the fantastic website Letters of note– and the original post can be found here

This first appeared on my blog: https://unwindyourmind.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/it-will-be-sunny-one-day/