Well in clinical depression cases, it's generally not possible to get someone to just stop being depressed even momentarily like Clem was apparently able to do with Nick in the shed. That really did just seem like he just needed a pep talk.
I mean... speaking personally as someone who has depression, yeah, you can have "up" moments and you can indeed have times where you want to live. You're not borderline suicidal 100% all the time. That's a very shallow view of depression. It's heavily implied that Nick struggles without having people to vent to and lean on--if Clementine just leave him, he doesn't try to get up and follow her. He just stays there. It strikes me as less of a need for a pep talk and more for a borderline unhealthy coping mechanism in which he doesn't have the will to depend on himself. It's only through the support of someone else that he can get up and moving which, to speak truthfully, is somewhat reminiscent of Jane's sister Jaime--though ultimately Nick chooses to thankfully keep going, unlike her. But again, having the will to live does not mean you don't have depression. Many people with depression don't want to die at all.
Nothing in that anecdote implies that he had fits of depression before. In fact, Nick mentioned that despite the fact that they were flat broke he didn't care because they were having fun. The anecdote had more to do with Luke's carefree attitude than Nick.
I interpreted it as both. In terms of the narrative it's meant for us to consider Luke's character, but contextually, Nick is talking about himself. He finishes it with "I'm just not built like that." He's talking about how he struggles with moving on, not dwelling, picking himself back up, and keeping forward, and he uses a pre-apocalypse anecdote to illustrate that. I'll bite, I can't really argue against him saying he was having fun. The only real thing I can counter that with is that people with depression are capable of enjoying themselves and having fun, too, and that part was more a reference to him following in Luke's footsteps rather than thinking for himself, which has more to say about the nature of their friendship than it does Nick exclusively.
Nick might have self-esteem issues but I don't think it's to the extent that he'd be clinically diagnosed. Lots of people have low self-esteem.
I don't think either of us are in a position to say whether or not he'd be clinically diagnosed because we're not psychiatrists and he's not real. But I'm speaking of a position of experience and recognizing what I feel is a pretty accurate depiction of someone with depression. If you disagree, that's fine. Again, he's fictional. But I'm not the only one who sees this.
A sudden will to live in the middle of a dire situation =/= fully cured depression.
Well in clinical depression cases, it's generall… morey not possible to get someone to just stop being depressed even momentarily like Clem was apparently able to do with Nick in the shed. That really did just seem like he just needed a pep talk.
He uses a pre-apocalypse anecdote to explain that he can't move on like Luke and that he's "not built like that," implying that he's been this way since before the apocalypse.
Nothing in that anecdote implies that he had fits of depression before. In fact, Nick mentioned that despite the fact that they were flat broke he didn't care because they were having fun. The anecdote had more to do with Luke's carefree attitude than Nick.
Getting irrationally upset when your uncle tells slightly embarrassing stories about you is something that comes from a lifetime of feeling inadequate, not necessarily t… [view original content]
I mean... speaking personally as someone who has depression, yeah, you can have "up" moments and you can indeed have times where you want to live. You're not borderline suicidal 100% all the time. That's a very shallow view of depression.
I think you misunderstand my point. While people with depression can have "up" moments, if Nick was in fact having a "down" moment like you believe, it would have been very unlikely for Clem to have been able to talk him back up, at least not as quickly as she did. I mean, from your personal experience, has someone ever succeeded in simply talking you out of a depressive state? Isn't that the point of the original post I was replying to? That you can't just "snap" someone out of depression?
The only real thing I can counter that with is that people with depression are capable of enjoying themselves and having fun, too
Well, yeah, but wouldn't a depressed person tend to dwell more on the failure of the venture as opposed to the fun of engaging in it? From the way Nick was talking, he actually seems to have had a pretty optimistic view of things. But anyway, the original point was that there isn't really anything in the anecdote that suggests that he's gone through depressive states in the past.
But I'm speaking of a position of experience and recognizing what I feel is a pretty accurate depiction of someone with depression. If you disagree, that's fine. Again, he's fictional. But I'm not the only one who sees this.
Sure, it's fine if you want to headcanon him as clinically depressed. I just think that, given the scenarios he's been in, grief seems like a more simple explanation for his behavior than a preexisting long-term disorder.
Well in clinical depression cases, it's generally not possible to get someone to just stop being depressed even momentarily like Clem was ap… moreparently able to do with Nick in the shed. That really did just seem like he just needed a pep talk.
I mean... speaking personally as someone who has depression, yeah, you can have "up" moments and you can indeed have times where you want to live. You're not borderline suicidal 100% all the time. That's a very shallow view of depression. It's heavily implied that Nick struggles without having people to vent to and lean on--if Clementine just leave him, he doesn't try to get up and follow her. He just stays there. It strikes me as less of a need for a pep talk and more for a borderline unhealthy coping mechanism in which he doesn't have the will to depend on himself. It's only through the support of someone else that he can get up and moving which, to speak truthfully, is somewhat reminiscent of Ja… [view original content]
Maybe this is too personal of a thing to admit, but I've been in a teen mental health center institution for a few months a couple years ago and talked to many teens who have been admitted to mental hospitals. Metal illness runs in my family, and I have experience dealing with them too. I myself have anxiety and OCD, and I've mostly recovered from body dysmorphic disorder which I developed early on.
I don't think TWDG could handle writing a character like that, it's far too complex. The way they handled Sarah was horrible.
Also, I don't know if you mean mentally disabled as in an actual mental deficiency or if you mean a person who has a mental disorder.
I still think that the idea of Sarah traveling with Clementine and learning to cope with her struggles made for a far more intriguing character arc than just having the hardcore survivalist types shooting their way through the apocalypse.
I think the point of Walking Dead is that if you don't have a mental disability, you will crack. If you already have a mental instability of some sort, it may be some sort of advantage. Carver, Rick and the Governor are terrible examples of the way that disorders such as sociopathy, schizophrenia and just being psychotic are beneficial in the apocalypse. Sarah didn't die because she was neurodivergent, she died because she needed the same help surviving that Clementine did and wasn't given it by the characters. Maybe if Lee was there to help her...
Comments
Mustache pls
. Are you drunk again? 
He clearly hasn't learned his lesson.
Spamhammer inc.
I hope he doesn't call Nick a pedophile this time if he is.
I mean... speaking personally as someone who has depression, yeah, you can have "up" moments and you can indeed have times where you want to live. You're not borderline suicidal 100% all the time. That's a very shallow view of depression. It's heavily implied that Nick struggles without having people to vent to and lean on--if Clementine just leave him, he doesn't try to get up and follow her. He just stays there. It strikes me as less of a need for a pep talk and more for a borderline unhealthy coping mechanism in which he doesn't have the will to depend on himself. It's only through the support of someone else that he can get up and moving which, to speak truthfully, is somewhat reminiscent of Jane's sister Jaime--though ultimately Nick chooses to thankfully keep going, unlike her. But again, having the will to live does not mean you don't have depression. Many people with depression don't want to die at all.
I interpreted it as both. In terms of the narrative it's meant for us to consider Luke's character, but contextually, Nick is talking about himself. He finishes it with "I'm just not built like that." He's talking about how he struggles with moving on, not dwelling, picking himself back up, and keeping forward, and he uses a pre-apocalypse anecdote to illustrate that. I'll bite, I can't really argue against him saying he was having fun. The only real thing I can counter that with is that people with depression are capable of enjoying themselves and having fun, too, and that part was more a reference to him following in Luke's footsteps rather than thinking for himself, which has more to say about the nature of their friendship than it does Nick exclusively.
I don't think either of us are in a position to say whether or not he'd be clinically diagnosed because we're not psychiatrists and he's not real. But I'm speaking of a position of experience and recognizing what I feel is a pretty accurate depiction of someone with depression. If you disagree, that's fine. Again, he's fictional. But I'm not the only one who sees this.
I think you misunderstand my point. While people with depression can have "up" moments, if Nick was in fact having a "down" moment like you believe, it would have been very unlikely for Clem to have been able to talk him back up, at least not as quickly as she did. I mean, from your personal experience, has someone ever succeeded in simply talking you out of a depressive state? Isn't that the point of the original post I was replying to? That you can't just "snap" someone out of depression?
Well, yeah, but wouldn't a depressed person tend to dwell more on the failure of the venture as opposed to the fun of engaging in it? From the way Nick was talking, he actually seems to have had a pretty optimistic view of things. But anyway, the original point was that there isn't really anything in the anecdote that suggests that he's gone through depressive states in the past.
Sure, it's fine if you want to headcanon him as clinically depressed. I just think that, given the scenarios he's been in, grief seems like a more simple explanation for his behavior than a preexisting long-term disorder.
Maybe this is too personal of a thing to admit, but I've been in a teen mental health center institution for a few months a couple years ago and talked to many teens who have been admitted to mental hospitals. Metal illness runs in my family, and I have experience dealing with them too. I myself have anxiety and OCD, and I've mostly recovered from body dysmorphic disorder which I developed early on.
I don't think TWDG could handle writing a character like that, it's far too complex. The way they handled Sarah was horrible.
Also, I don't know if you mean mentally disabled as in an actual mental deficiency or if you mean a person who has a mental disorder.
I still think that the idea of Sarah traveling with Clementine and learning to cope with her struggles made for a far more intriguing character arc than just having the hardcore survivalist types shooting their way through the apocalypse.
Alas, my expectations were short-lived.
I think the point of Walking Dead is that if you don't have a mental disability, you will crack. If you already have a mental instability of some sort, it may be some sort of advantage. Carver, Rick and the Governor are terrible examples of the way that disorders such as sociopathy, schizophrenia and just being psychotic are beneficial in the apocalypse. Sarah didn't die because she was neurodivergent, she died because she needed the same help surviving that Clementine did and wasn't given it by the characters. Maybe if Lee was there to help her...