“Rick and Morty” Co-Creator Gives Best Advice to Twitter Fan on How to Deal with Depression
I’ve been looking for a good reason to be happy about Twitter’s character limit increase. And my reason came in a series of tweets that left behind both some solid advice on how to deal with depression AND a badly needed win for the men in TV team.
Dan Harmon, co-creator of the adult animated sci-fi show Rick and Morty, took it to Twitter to give us a lesson in compassion, empathy and wisdom after a fan reached out via Tweet in the middle of the night asking for advice on dealing with depression.
@danharmon do you have advice for dealing with depression
— charming taint man (@chojuroh) November 28, 2017
Dan Harmon’s heartfelt Twitter advice on dealing with depression
Harmon, who is no stranger to struggles and conflicting emotions himself — comedian John Oliver once referred to him as a “human hand grenade with a predilection for pulling his own pin out” — did not take his fan’s call for advice lightly and replied in a series of four tweets that brought the Internet to tears.
For One: Admit and accept that it’s happening. Awareness is everything. We put ourselves under so much pressure to feel good. It’s okay to feel bad. It might be something you’re good at! Communicate it. DO NOT KEEP IT SECRET. Own it. Like a hat or jacket. Your feelings are real.
— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) November 28, 2017
Two: try to remind yourself, over and over, that feelings are real but they aren’t reality. Example: you can feel like life means nothing. True feeling. Important feeling. TRUE that you feel it, BUT…whether life has meaning? Not up to us. Facts and feelings: equal but different
— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) November 28, 2017
Dark thoughts will echo off the walls of your skull, they will distort and magnify. When you open your mouth (or an anonymous journal or blog or sketchpad), these thoughts go out. They’ll be back but you gotta get em OUT. Vent them. Tap them. I know you don’t want to but try it.
— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) November 28, 2017
The most important thing I can say to you is please don’t deal with it alone. There is an incredible, miraculous magic to pushing your feelings out. Even writing “I want to die” on a piece of paper and burning it will feel better than thinking about it alone. Output is magical.
— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) November 28, 2017
Tweet exchange gets people to open up about their own struggles
Harmon’s response nearly left fan Chelsea Sargent speechless — though she did point out that his advice was “Probably better than my therapist could’ve said it.” But Chelsea was not the only one to respond to Dan Harmon’s compassionate words.
The Twitter exchange was met with grateful replies from many others whose anxieties and fears Harmon’s words spoke to directly.
Thank you so much for asking…I wouldn’t have had the courage to…and what may have seemed like one little question, has helped more people than either of you will ever truly know.
I thank you both. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. ❤️— Stephanie Saxton (@StephanieSaxto2) December 1, 2017
“Feelings are real but they aren’t reality” you have no idea how much you just helped me. In an instant that statement put so much anxiety to peace. Thank you.
— Jeromy Sonne (@JeromySonne) November 29, 2017
Thank you for this. You did more for anxiety/depression sufferers than any pill or therapist. Own our feelings, quit hiding behind the fake smile. You’re an amazing guy for taking the question so seriously.
— samantha williams (@punkinmimi) November 30, 2017
