Winning the Battle Against Depression
If like me, you watched Ken Burns’
amazing Lewis and Clark documentary, you were likely saddened by the disintegration
and suicide of Meriwether Lewis following the Corp of Discovery’s return from
their trek to the Pacific Ocean.
Meriwether Lewis was a brilliant but troubled man whose family had a history of mental health problems. Still he took life by
the horns and fought through those horrific hours and days of unrelenting
depression to become an educated and highly respected man.
Fortunately, as many health
professionals have discovered, a constant diet of challenge and problem solving
often forces bouts of depression to temporarily lessen.
Thomas Jefferson noted that while on the Expedition, Lewis’ struggle with depression abated.
No, it hadn’t.
But the constant difficulties and
tribulations of daily life during their journey made it nearly impossible for
Lewis to focus on his own gnawing sadness and the adrenaline bursts from the
almost never ending dangers honed him into an awe inspiring figure and national
hero.
Through the most harrowing of
times he remained a calm and decisive leader, much of it likely due to the stabilizing
influence of his good friend William Clark. He built friendships with the Indians
tribes and created a template for what our relationships with the Native
Americans could have, and clearly should have been as we expanded across the
nation.
What I found so inspiring was
Lewis’ indomitable drive, his refusal to permit any difficulty to dissuade him
from the task at hand. He was a man bound by honor and friendship. He had been
entrusted with the mission by President Jefferson and would not let anything
stop him from accomplishing that task.
They set out in May of 1804 and
spent over 2 years traveling over uncharted territory.
What Lewis and Clark and the Corp of Discovery saw and encountered had never before been experienced by white people. And because the United States is such a vast expanse their environment radically changed many times as their journey progressed.
They also encountered animals,
the likes of which were unknown in the civilized…
But enough of the history lesson.
What truly stunned and saddened
me was what happened after the expedition. Lewis and Clark were national heroes.
Much due to Lewis and Clark’s skilled leadership, the entire Corp of Discovery
(save one who died of a burst appendix) returned home safely. The nation loved
and admired them. Parties and gala events were held in their honor.
Lewis and Clark were rewarded
with huge tracks of land and positions of great power and authority.
And why not? They had proven
their ability to take complex and difficult situations and bring them to positive
conclusions.
But Meriwether Lewis’ demons were
now well rested and ready to place new horrors on the psyche of the emotionally
and physically drained explorer.
Although he had kept a painstakingly accurate journal of their adventure, upon their return Lewis was seemingly unable to write the book about their expedition that Jefferson was eagerly anticipating.
In addition, Meriwether, the man
who had found a way to overcome countless difficulties and dangers had lost the
ability to control his own life. Personal problems festered and grew, he lost
track of his expenditures, the women he courted quickly distanced themselves from
him. He became progressively unable to do his job and it soon overwhelmed him.
He became dependant on alcohol
and morphine to combat the malaria he had contracted. And his unsteadiness
caused the predators to gather. He was soon accused of financial mismanaging
the Expedition.
While on route to Washington to
clear his name he continued to deteriorate. While stopped in Tennessee he said
his friend William Clark would be arriving soon to accompany him.
Clark was thousands of miles away
and knew nothing of this nor of Lewis’ emotional collapse.
In an apparent emotional freefall,
Meriwether Lewis put a gun to his head and...
...My God.
I think the reason this sad turn
of events stunned me is because Ken Burns’ storytelling had made me know the man, as well as like and admire him.
Strangely, we share the same
birthday.
My last blog post was about struggling
with emotional issues. I usually write a new blog post ever day or so, but that
one was getting some many hits that I decided to step back and let it run its
course.
If you are battling difficult emotional
issues, there are techniques you can learn to take control and keep depression,
anxiety and stress at bay. Since we are all different, some of these techniques
will be very effective, others partially effective and some not at all.
Learn more HERE
