Memes have become relatable in today’s digital age, often capturing snippets of emotions or moments that are universally funny; we all seem to have experienced similar situations at one point or another. Growing up, my family constantly referred to my own personal “relatable” phase – my classic display of indifference. This demeanor kicked in before I even learned how to read or write and was brought up whenever my mother disciplined me. An unforgettable childhood moment involved sitting on the porch after a scolding from her.
According to my older cousin, I remained there for hours without shedding a single tear or pleading to be let back inside the house, only entering when my father finally returned home from work. It’s moments like these – highly meme-worthy and relatable – that bring forth laughter when reminiscing with loved ones about our formative years.
In reality, I had zero recollection of what my mother and I disagreed on at the time that required such punishment. What I knew while growing up was that I had always been full of pride. When I see I am right, I will not apologize or say yes to make others feel better. I would also not admit to being wrong when I knew the others were wrong. Hence, I assume that that’s the same issue in the past, bringing about a new perspective on life.
Nobody knew that I began to feel hatred towards my parents from the age of eight. Around that age, kids tend to remember and notice everything. I realized back then that even when my sister, who was two years younger than me, was at fault, I had to apologize whenever she cried. Even if her actions hurt me, I had no choice but to forgive her or let her do whatever she wanted with my toys. And if I ever got mad, my parents would scold me for not being cool enough.
My resentment towards my mom and dad reached its peak when they allowed my sister to go on a field trip independently. Before I reached the grade level where I could go on field trips, my parents always insisted that she go with me. Otherwise, I would not be able to participate. Even if I wanted to have a good laugh with my friends by myself, I had no choice but to let her tag along back then. But once my sister had the chance to go on the field trip alone, she was allowed to do so. It felt as if the real world had different rules for her, and I couldn’t help but find it frustrating, leading me to seek relatable memes and funny memes to ease my feelings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It made me wonder if my parents trusted my sister more than me back then. If that was the case, what did I do to make them feel that way? If it was not, then what was it? After all, I was a straight-A student. I was technically more competent than my sister and in more organizations than her. I was also generally more reliable and never lied to them about anything else (other than my hate for them). Because of that, when I finally had enough, I screamed at the top of my lungs that I wished I was dead so that I would not have to see any of them again.
My body was shivering, and I was full of anger. All I can think of is self-harm. I even went overboard and started thinking negative thoughts of suicide. I was hopeless at that moment, but I was sure I was in full rage. My anger was uncontrollable, that I knew that if my parents were about to stop me from the outburst, I would seriously make them regret it.
Source: pexels.com
Shaking The Family Dynamics
My outburst shocked my parents to the core. I could tell that’s what happened because they did not even manage to blink or say anything for 10 whole minutes. I honestly expected them to ground me or scold me for hours, but neither took place. I was in full rage, but I still kept my focus on my mom’s behavior. I was entirely expecting her to say some nasty stuff about me and my uncalled-for emotional outburst, but she didn’t say anything. I was baffled, but I didn’t let her see through the confusion I had inside. Memes are a great source of humor; I can’t wait to share a funny meme soon.
Once my mother got over the initial shock, though, she went up to pick up the phone and dialed my only aunt’s number. I honestly had an idea that she was going to do that because she had been mentioning her and attempting to insert her name into our seemingly okay conversations in the long run.
Aunt Tilly was a child psychologist, you see, and she came right away with a set of questionnaires for me. When I asked what those were for, she said that they were written scales for kids who might have depression. Is that mean I was suffering from a mental health disorder? Surely enough, I would know.
My answers to the questionnaire genuinely helped the child psychologist to diagnose me with depression. No one knew what to do with me because I refused to cooperate with anyone. That was until I fired up our old computer, got on the internet, and saw my first depression meme. It somehow normalized my condition and helped me realize that other people had the same disorder, too.
The thing with depression is that it is barely something I don’t want to talk about. I am in denial of that stuff because I would not want other people to judge me and think that I am crazy because I am dealing with a psychological issue. Fortunately, the internet made its way to my liking, and the craze apparently saved me from negative thinking. The videos, images, gifs, and pieces of text somehow made me feel a little less concerned about the stigma. And since the internet is talking about mental health and openly sharing suggestions and ideas about it, I have become more comfortable sharing my thoughts as well.
What Is A Craze?
It is a craze which is a visual representation of a person’s idea regarding any topic. The thing is, there is no limitation as to what type of idea anyone can turn into a craze. Some may use facts; others may use their opinions.
What Makes Depression Craze Popular?
Depression craze is most popular due to their memes’ relatability. If you have not seen one, you must know that a depression craze typically contains observations, opinions, or jokes of the creator.
What Is The Difference Between Gifs And Craze?
Many individuals confuse GIFs and craze, thus pushing them to use both words interchangeably a little too often. In truth, their difference is as clear as the distinction between pictures and videos, though. These are practically still images with texts, while GIFs are usually clips cut out of a movie, TV show, or video that people may have found online.
Despite their differences, both are created to make people laugh.
Source: pexels.com
Have Depression Craze Always Been Popular?
Given the stigma surrounding mental illnesses (which was likely more overpowering in the past), the safest bet is that no, depression craze had not always been popular. With the creation of the internet and social media, more people have felt brave enough to share their mental health issues. That has allowed others to create a depression that everyone may find relatable craze.
What Is The Significance Of Relating To Depression Craze?
Depression craze technically have two different effects on people. They can either illuminate you regarding how other people see a situation or amuse you at how spot-on they are describing what you think or feel. At the end of the day, though, depression craze are created to make you laugh, so relating to them at any level is significant and gives you a way to relieve yourself of stress and improve your mood.
Is Humor Important When Battling Depression?
Yes, humor is absolutely important for someone trying to get rid of depression. When you joke and laugh, a massive load on your shoulders gets lifted. It may return once you are no longer laughing, but the momentary relief you experience may make you realize that there is a way out of your worries.
Unfortunately, some people tend to frown upon using humor when battling depression and say that depressed folks use humor to mask their condition. If you think about it, though, laughing is basically a form of expression. While others may choose to yell, curse, or cry, some want to laugh their troubles away.
Why Should I Laugh?
The primary reason why you should laugh is that it is the cheapest yet one of the most effective sources of stress relief on the planet. Laughing at least once a day can push your worries out of your mind, after all. It may only take a few seconds, but a few worry-free seconds will allow your brain to form solutions for your problems. Hence, the more you laugh, the more you may be able to resolve your issues faster.
Another reason to laugh is that it is a natural pain reliever. Many people get weirded out when someone getting cancer treatment or surgery or dealing with the death of a loved one laughs, but laughter happens to be their coping mechanism. In all honesty, it may give them a better chance of recovering fully than crying or moping.
Source: pexels.com
Is It Alright To Laugh For No Reason?
In reality, no. The saying that someone who laughs for no reason is “not right in the head” has a medical basis, considering most people have suffered from a brain injury, thus causing them to be unable to control their emotions. The appropriate term for this condition is pseudobulbar affect (PBA).
How Can I Make Myself Laugh?
There are only three things you should do to make yourself laugh.
- Hang out with naturally funny individuals. If you have coworkers, family members, or friends who seem to make it their life-long goal to make everyone laugh silly during gatherings, you need to be with them more. Jokers tend to laugh easily, and their laughter can be contagious. By associating yourself with them, it will be challenging for you not to laugh with them.
- Look for funny videos. The quickest way to do that is by going on YouTube and searching for compilations of babies doing silly stunts, animals with funny antics, or people pranking each other. In case you are into stand-up comedy, Netflix is one of the streaming platforms with a hefty list of stand-up videos.
- Be the joker in the group. Considering others have told you that you are funny, you may try your hand at making people laugh. Even if you do not feel like doing so, if they laugh at your jokes, laughter may naturally bubble up inside you, too.
How Can My Mood Improve?
- Get a pet. Any form of animal can be your best friend if you take care of it well. It can keep you company during your lonely days and give you a reason to wake up every day. There is no harm in buying a pet from the store, but you may also consider adopting one or two from an animal shelter.
- Exercise. Exercising is one of the easiest things to do, but people somehow forget to do it. Many tend to blame it because they do not have time – or extra money – for the gym, but there are plenty of free workout tutorials that anyone can try at home. And if those are too rigorous for you, walking is always an option.
Source: flickr.com
- Talk to friends. Often, people get depressed when they feel like they cannot talk to anyone. If you know there are people in your life who are just waiting for you to reach out, you must do so and start talking to them regularly. In this manner, you will no longer be as lonely as before.
- Pick up a hobby. Feeling sour or dull is typical for people who do not have much to do with their time. Considering working is not an option, try to see it as the best time to pick up a new hobby that can fill your days and make you productive.
Final Thoughts
At first, my parents did not understand what happened or how. They thought that we had the perfect family and that their parenting skills were superb. However, they finally saw the reality through that diagnosis.
Years after that, my relationship with my family healed. Although my parents did not hold a grudge over my major outburst when I was barely a teenager, I would forever regret letting those words come out of my mouth. I love my parents and my sister more than anything in this lifetime. It just so happened that childhood jealousy went into play and got mixed with depression, resulting in disastrous behavior.