What I Do To Fight Depression

Q: "When you find yourself in a depressed mood how do you get out of it?"

I listen to soothing music. When I say soothing music, I mean turning up the volume to max and then singing my heart out. From acoustic to anime songs, I listen to all of them. Somehow the loud noise shakes me back to my senses and more often than not leaves me powerless or with no energy to be depressed. If that does not work, I turn to my handy fridge and start rummaging for chocolates. In short, I stress eat. If after doing both I'm still depressed, I yield to my ever seductive bed and got to sleep. I sleep over the reason of my depression, with the hope that when I wake up, I've forgotten about it, which leaves me no more reason to be in such a down state.

http://soulpancake.com/questions/view/74415/when-you-find-yourself-in-a-depressed-mood-how-do-you-get-out-of-it.html

Birthday Turned Sermon

PESSIMISM

I may not know who this man is. But I believe he's some great Algerian Rai singer who died on the day and year I was born.

His name is Cheb Hasni, an Algerian crooner known for his taboo love songs. He quickly rose to fame in Algeria despite the censorship in the country, and became even more successful abroad. Apparently, religious groups like the Muslims, disapproved of his music. He received numerous death threats and several assassination attempts until finally he was murdered on September 29, 1994.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheb_Hasni (since all the other sources are in French @_@)

Another thing that happened on my birthday was the finalization of the jury members for the Oj Simpson murder case trial. 

Oj Simpson is a football star who killed his ex-wife and her friend. He was tried for two counts of murder and was acquitted after the of trial. The case was severely long (9 months) and media feasted on it; sensationalizing and stuff like that. 

Source: http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/simpson/simpson.htm

Two events that claimed lives. While on the other side of the world a new life began, mine. Somehow it made me contemplate on the ever cliche "cycle of life" and "life is short; make the most out of everything" quotes. It's damn true. Even if I become someone great, awesome, and successful someday, my time of death will come; replacing the space I left vacant on this giant spaceship. So why bother aiming for success in this life if everything's gonna be gone anyway? 

My indefinite answer to my own question: Set a goal to have direction and purpose in life. Indeed everything will be gone, but I think it would be stupid to waste all the time we have in our life even if , ironically, we say life is too short. A day is a day; a month is a month; a year is a year. My common sense and philosophical side dictate to me that I can choose to be "patapon" and don't give a damn about life. But being "patapon" requires  a person to have a fall back; like be an heir to a billion dollar company or something. That gives you the OPTIMAL reason to be a douche. However, I'm not fortunate enough to be one of those richie rich. So I am left with no choice but to deal with life practically if I want to bum out.

I am amused but at the same time irked by how vague this post of mine is. Forgive me. 

I guess researching and writing about events that happened on my birthday made me over think things again. Till next blog!

My Innocent Drink

The weather has been so unpredictable these past few days. Sunday was mild rain showers. Monday, it was raining cats and dogs. Tuesday, SCORCHING high temperature you'd be sunburned the minute you step out into the daylight. Oh, Mr. Weather why so moody? Maybe you're too stressed?

Stress. Stress, stress, stress. Stress everyday and everywhere. Everyone is stressed, even the weather. Stress became a part of me ever since I came to college. It creeps through the veins until your heart pumps stress instead of blood . I live and feed on stress. I am stress. Okay, that may be a bit exaggerated but you, as a fellow college student, MUST DEFINITELY know what I mean. Stress can be overwhelming at times that we, most often than not, act like retards because of it. Having that freedom as adults isn't that fun after all. What we wanted was enjoyable/ happy-go-lucky freedom, and not the kind that required us to have responsibilities.

A cup of hot chocolate 

My tiny bit of sweet escape from my hell weeks (or hell months as we call it) every now and then is drinking a warm cup of my favorite chocolate drink (MILO! FTW!) It brings me back to my senses and calms my over-excited nerves and brain cells, who are always working on the double. It provides me with the adrenaline I need to defeat my workload. Contrary to many people who prefer coffee over this sweet and delicious drink, Milo keeps me pumped up till the wee hours of the morning. Coffee makes me sleepy. Yes. At times, coffee may keep me wide awake like an owl, but most of the time it acts as my tranquilizer or rather my sedative. A cup of coffee makes me woozy and really groggy. Funny how its effect on me is the reverse to what is the norm. I might be a freak! O_O That's why I prefer the chocolate-y goodness of Milo than Nescafe or Starbucks' Frappuccino. Forgive me Starbucks fanatics.

But now that I think about it, I may have another reason for choosing the former than the latter. I've always drunk Milo back when I was a kid. Back when I was innocent and stress free, who worried about nothing but what color of crayola to use. Somehow, drinking Milo makes me think and feel like I'm back to being a kid again. Drinking coffee makes me feel like a sir. HAHA. 

Not that I don't want to be an adult, but who ever said being an adult was so nerve-wracking? As cliche as it may sound, indeed we yearn to be kids again when we're adults and vice-versa. Ironic isn't it?

Chocolate drinks relieve me of the tension and pressure I feel. I want to get my innocent life back. A life without stress. A life where I can enjoy even the tiniest and sweetest bits of it that I seem to be always euphoric. It is only through this that I reminisce the past. Though they may make me stronger, I can never fully appreciate the bitter things in life if nothing sweet comes out of it.. Like how I don't enjoy coffee without putting two tablespoons (or perhaps more) of creamer. 

After all that I have said, I believe that the simple act of drinking a hot cup of chocolate means a lot to me. Vague as it may seem to others, I dare say it is a part of me. It is who I am before, but is now and forever only a shard of memory left by a catastrophic event in my life as I transition to adulthood: COLLEGE