Similarly, in the magic world, Dementors can be fought off by learning to concentrate and think about joyful experiences which then bring about a protective shield, called a Patronus. So that the affective states that the demons live within can be known, experienced and worked through within a relationship that offers new possibilities and choices. So that the monsters will not continue to feed on and destroy what is good. So that the experiences which have called them forth can be articulated and addressed. It means that the patients’ demons and monsters are invited into the room so that they can be known and understood. In psychotherapy, working with depression involves taking on the Dementors a deux, within the relationship that is forged between therapist and patient. It reduces people to “empty shells” moving in a time warp through their lives and routines, with no attachment to anything, except the depression itself. Depression impairs the ability to think clearly, make decisions, interact with others and gain any enjoyment out of life. People who are depressed may continue to function, but always in a reduced capacity, as it requires enormous effort to undertake even the simplest of actions. When doctors diagnose depression they look at vegetative states – as in changes in sleep, appetite, activity, interests, relationships. There is literally no light at the end of the tunnel because depression has extinguished it. In such a state it is difficult to remember anything that is good in life. It creates a negative feedback loop, which traps the person in ongoing despair and connects them to the worst, traumatic experiences in their lives, repeating and resonating them affectively. It slows people down, makes them feel vulnerable, negative, pessimistic and lost. Depression comes about slowly, its presence felt and pervasive. Thinking about depression in this way moves us away from diagnostic categories and into the felt experience of the thing. Then a Dementor will appear in full force and begin to literally suck your life away. Their approach feels cold and dark, its iciness takes your breath away and freezes you on the spot. In the Potter stories, Dementors appear suddenly but their presence can be felt long before they are in full view. A state that comes upon a person and begins to suck out every happy memory or feeling, until all that is left is dark, negative and deadly. So here we have the magical equivalent to depression. You will be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life.” If it can, the Dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself…soulless and evil. “ Dementors drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them… Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you. They can also consume a person’s soul, leaving their victims in a permanent vegetative state, and thus are often referred to as “soul-sucking fiends” and are known to leave a person as an “empty-shell.” They cannot be destroyed, though their numbers can be limited if the conditions in which they multiply are reduced, implying that they do die off eventually. Dementors feed off human happiness, and thus cause depression and despair to anyone near them. So first, the defintion of Dementor, as per the Harry Potter Wikipedia (yes there is such a thing!):Ī Dementor is a dark creature, considered one of the foulest to inhabit the world. I often share this story with my patients because it speaks to the necessity of knowing one’s monsters intimately, and of finding our own way to take them on, daily if needed. This, he stated, needed to be done everyday or else he might not find his way out of bed. This came to me a long time ago, when I remembered an interview with Ingmar Bergman, in which he was talking about his life long struggle with depression, and the fact that it had not stopped him from being a prolific film maker because, after much therapeutic intervention he had learned to “walk his monster every morning”. I have been known to talk about depression as the monster that must be walked, first thing, everyday. You also know that I often use magical creatures as metaphors for what ails us. Those of you who know me, know of my strong attachment to Harry Potter and his world of magic. If you are not familiar with the Potter books, no worries, read on, as I am writing about the experience of depression and its life threatening reality. A fate, some would say, worse than death. This blog is about Dementors, those magical creatures in the Harry Potter books, that suck all happiness away with a deadly kiss, leaving one empty of life and with nothing to look forward to.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |