What's in a Name?
A Name is Power.
In ancient times, they used to believe that you should never utter a baby's name aloud, lest evil overhear. If Evil knew the baby's name, it could use the name to cast a spell upon the child.
Among some American Indian tribes, they had a practice of adopting the names of their spirit guides, thereby summoning the guide's strength and power to them.
If you want to take this out of the realm of myth, you need look no further than a baby. What is one of a baby's first milestones? His first word. When that baby first names his "Mommy", he gains power. He can summon a grown adult to his side with just one simple word. Just two syllables gets him a smile, a hug, a diaper change or a bottle. All his simple needs met, with just a single word.
Now take this to the adult who is seriously ill. You're afraid, but you don't yet know of what. You can't sleep for the worry. You can't eat without choking. You can't ask for help, because you don't yet know what is wrong. You feel helpless against this nameless demon that is trying to take over your life.
But then, someone gives you its name - Depression. You can own it now. It is no longer a faceless demon, but a thing. Now that you know its name, you can ask others, "Have you seen the demon known as Depression? Do you know how to defeat it?"
Now that you know its name, you can summon forth a champion to help you fight it. "Who amongst you has the courage to slay the mighty demon in my name?"
"Go forth, Prozac (or Zoloft, or Effexor) and defeat the demon known as Depression!"
Names have power.
Until you can name your fears, until you can speak their names out loud, you are at their mercy. And they are neither merciful nor swift in the havoc that they cause.
In ancient times, they used to believe that you should never utter a baby's name aloud, lest evil overhear. If Evil knew the baby's name, it could use the name to cast a spell upon the child.
Among some American Indian tribes, they had a practice of adopting the names of their spirit guides, thereby summoning the guide's strength and power to them.
If you want to take this out of the realm of myth, you need look no further than a baby. What is one of a baby's first milestones? His first word. When that baby first names his "Mommy", he gains power. He can summon a grown adult to his side with just one simple word. Just two syllables gets him a smile, a hug, a diaper change or a bottle. All his simple needs met, with just a single word.
Now take this to the adult who is seriously ill. You're afraid, but you don't yet know of what. You can't sleep for the worry. You can't eat without choking. You can't ask for help, because you don't yet know what is wrong. You feel helpless against this nameless demon that is trying to take over your life.
But then, someone gives you its name - Depression. You can own it now. It is no longer a faceless demon, but a thing. Now that you know its name, you can ask others, "Have you seen the demon known as Depression? Do you know how to defeat it?"
Now that you know its name, you can summon forth a champion to help you fight it. "Who amongst you has the courage to slay the mighty demon in my name?"
"Go forth, Prozac (or Zoloft, or Effexor) and defeat the demon known as Depression!"
Names have power.
Until you can name your fears, until you can speak their names out loud, you are at their mercy. And they are neither merciful nor swift in the havoc that they cause.
posted by Cary at 3:15 PM
10 Comments:
i'm glad you have a name. because names do have power.
on a seperate- but not really- subject, you are a wonderful writer. i like the way you put words together.
-OH
Yah, Cary. You have accomplished what many people never will. Facing your demons. Its the first step towards defeating them. Go, you!
Cary,
We are SO proud of you, for not only facing your demon, but for sharing your fear with us. You're right, an illness without a name is paralyzing (sometimes literally), but once it has a name, it becomes something tangible, and maybe just a little less scary.
(You could name your illness "Herbert" instead of "Depression"-- sometimes that gives it a lot less power. My illness goes by "Skippy".)
And yes, your writing is wonderful!
Cary- Your writing style seems so effortless. Everything flows together like smooth velvet, so softly said yet so strong.
You have really made progress..I hope you see it and I hope you FEEL it. It may take some time.
Please don't let anyone tell you Depression is not a disease just like diabeties or high blood pressure or something. All need to be treated. So you can't "quantify" Depression with a number, GP's brillance aside, some of us don't do numbers very well!
Keep up the good work my dear.
Y'all think I'm a good writer! Y'all really think I'm a good writer!!!!
Yippee!
Cary- Do you know how much help you have been to me? I have a friend whose story has some of the same components yours does and hearing you, talking with you, knowing you has helped me see the different sides of her and better understand her. Thank you for that.
I agree you have great voice. Your words are always a pleasure to read even if the topic isn't always a pleasure to discuss.
As for depression- hate it- the latest round of drugs isn't working- it took me an 1.5 hours to get out of bed yesterday- but I think I'm going to take a name from Margaret's book and since Skippy is already taken maybe I'll name mine Peter Pan-
i like that. giving your thing a name. makes it seem more able to be handled. (ok, bad English, sue me)
-OH
speaking of new posts (as we have at my, CMS's, bryan's, and BCB's blog), you need one too.
what's happening in the world of cary and her dogs?
I stumbled onto your blog through the comment section on Dogs & Goddesses. You really do write very well. Keep it up!
I've been there, down at the bottom of the ocean of depression. Lived there for about ten years before I managed to find a doctor with the right combination of drugs and insight. I hope that you're still doing well.
Cary--
After my daughter was born, I fell into a black hole, so awful. I wanted to kill myself--because then my husband and child could have someone much better than me, someone worthy. I also had some severe physical damage. I wanted to kill myself, had it all worked out to look like an accident. But I couldn't face the idea that I would die without having the house just so, and I was physically unable to GET the house "just so." That's the only thing that saved my life. I never want to feel that way again. It lasted for months, and nobody ever knew.
It's like the dementors. Ron said, "I felt like I'd never be cheerful again." Baby blues. Hah.
You write so well, so well. Keep it up, and never desert us.
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