Tuesday 26 August 2014

Expressive

I waited until this particular moment to say something because any contradicting comments would be met with somewhat guarded hostilities. I would love to know why so many people come out in tribute to a famous person dying as the result of a mental illness, or circumstances dictated by emotion, and want to raise awareness for such things? Things like this happen every day to normal people, normal people who die, or live to cope with such situations very differently, some exactly the same as recent events. I believe the expression fair weather friends is appropriate. Considering the impact of the general situation, it's good more people pay attention to the details, but when all the attention disappears as seems to have done for the most part now, it's as if all the awareness was raised for nothing. Everyone is completely different, I was able to get through my situation without any physical harm to myself, but I know several others who have self harmed or even committed suicide.

I would also like to spare a thought for counsellors and therapists who help us all through such situations. The whole profession holds a very special place in my heart, when I was told they have their own internal counselling system it really hit home how much those people put themselves through in order to make our lives easier to live.


Labels bandied about,
What's stopping you from finding out,
You talk like you know the score,
Have you been there before?
Before you judge or think you understand,
It's not just sadness, or a general bland,
Everyone's considering themselves experts in this field,
But we're all different in how we wield,
Emotions, feelings, even a smile,
I implore you, reconcile,
Depression won't effect just one man,
There are billions suffering even you can,
Voiceless, unheard, hiding away,
All relationships frayed,
So consider in your thoughts not just the one,
But the one in three at that same low,
Never forget when all's said and done,
These people cannot simply run,
They need your help and understanding,
It's as easy as handing, over a smile, over a hand,
Over a conversation about their plans,
And for those in silence, just a thought,
Happiness cannot be bought.

Monday 11 August 2014

Capable

Some people's life dream is to meet some random celebrity or to visit some hot island in the southern hemisphere. Mine is to meet someone who's music makes me cry. There's something about Passion Pit's music that hits me right in the back of my throat, particularly if I'm having an off day. I've cried outside and inside the four walls that I would call a home, all to reach some form of "capable" state.

It's amazing how often I use that word in my own mind, nothing is ever capable until the situation has truly passed.I find it somewhat ridiculous, certain situations popping up that are quite unbearable in their intensity and yet the actual concept of the whole idea is laughable. De-realisation, nothing is true, it may seem like something from Assassin's Creed but for someone who suffers from anxiety, the unsaid rule of every paranoiac thought, every irrational worry. It doesn't matter how ridiculous, how outlandish, as if the odds are stacked in the "defences" favour, there will be a time where the worry train comes off the tracks. So find someone who will live with that, you find someone who finds it themselves "capable" and who is actually willing to help the situation. You'd guess the difference that makes and go figure how happy you'll become, if politeness costs nothing, ignorance can cost a sanity.


Effort, if you could just learn to control,
What you are putting in, will drive you in to a hole,
Who's arms will be there to pull you out,
Mine for all, I've been thinking about,
All you've done for me and the position we are in,
Is there a day goes by that I'm without a grin?
Since the day we walked hand in hand, your face has been alight,
And after finding out why I can't sleep at night,
All you've wanted to do was help, and you still wear that smile,
Some day, you'll be repaid, while,
My thoughts don't exceed the expression of feelings,
I'm a dreamer, I deal in reelings,
The biggest compliment I can pay to you,
You're better than my imagination, that's the full truth.

Tuesday 5 August 2014

Tilting

Who'd have thought it was possible to sit so long doing nothing?
Story of my life and all that...

Last time I spoke about emotional karma, a slight elaboration, or branch as such, would be something called tilting. The first time I came across the term it was being bandied about by people who were looking for excuses as to why they were playing badly at games. More specifically, League of Legends. In simple terms it means that a bad mood will effect actions, making decisions less likely to be effective. For example, I'll use League of Legends as a scapegoat (5v5, 10 player game, team work imperative), if something goes wrong on your part, be it a bad decision, a lack of game knowledge or mechanics or even a system failure, you'll know you've done wrong. However, in a situation as team focused as League, the majority of your fellow players will let you know about your mistake, usually in the most violent or thoughtless way possible. They'll jump on your back and try to wrestle you to the ground, or so it would seem, because in turn they're also putting themselves on the ground, but this is an iteration of emotional karma not emotional karma itself. Because you feel as if you've made a mistake, you want to correct that in the best way possible, show 'em what you're made of champ! Wait though, your team is totally dragging you down and your desire for redemption is now making your decision making very poor, all you want to do is react to being put down but you're running head first into the same situations again without thinking.

Tilting.

This principle can also be stapled onto every day life, specifically in an environment where I work, where those "team mates" have suddenly turned into customers. Several people completely ignoring everything you say, only for your mood to then drop to the depths of... something really deep. Suddenly look, you're really annoyed and you're treating customers differently to the start of the day.

Tilting.

How is it possible to stop this from happening? Well in the game sense it's easy. Stop playing.
In real life sense it's generally way more difficult, you can't just stop playing. The sense of achievement from beating a game knowing you've overcame every odd to then come out on the other side victorious is immense. So the way I like to think of it is, I'm playing space invaders, every customer I get I shoot down whether they be good or bad, sometimes I get power-ups from those kind enough to take the time to listen. Every once in a while a boss comes along and I conquer them will all my willpower and at the end of the day I'm left feeling unreal.

Tilting.


Look out for my smile on those cold rainy days,
I'll get you through, make it okay,
Bring out the sun, make it shine bright,
Hold back the moon, hold back the night,
Every minute with you is like a holiday,
My mind's own vacation thoughts of that sunny day,
My only hope is it's the same for you,
Giving you peace of mine calm and true,
If being together quells any fears,
What reason is there it can't last always?