I didn’t know how else to title this article. It’s basically that: Matt Fraction talks to a fan who is asking him about whether or not life is worth living. It’s unclear if the individual posting the question is truly considering harming themselves as a result of a depression, but it is a valid inference and assumption based on the post.
After having been someone who has sat there as a family member has been dealing with depression and has – on several occasions in the last few years – attempted to try to commit suicide, even while being right next to me, seeing a writer such as Mr. Fraction come out and tell the individual in question to get the help that he/she needs – in no uncertain terms – is quite refreshing. Mr. Fraction has routinely spoken his mind – whether you agree with him or not – on his Tumblr blog and in this case I really don’t think anyone can or should fault him for being brutally honest and speaking his mind.
As Fraction says in response to the post on his site:
[quote]first off, i’d say, seek professional help immediately. because i am wildly unqualified to answer your question with anything but experience. and first off, my experience says, if you are in such a deep and dark place where you say things like this to total strangers on the internet, you need to be in contact with someone that can help you start to heal.[/quote]
What becomes even more surprising is that Fraction goes on to cover his own bout of depression and his own attempt at suicide, even going as far as to say his wife probably didn’t know about those thoughts as they were before they even met.
This is something that my family member still struggles with today – quite literally, I had a conversation about this topic with them earlier today. But Mr. Fraction truly puts it best near the end of his response: Find something. Today may suck, but we don’t know what tomorrow may bring. No matter how ridiculous:
[quote]WHAT FUCKING FONT WILL STARBUCKS USE ON THE CHRISTMAS DRINK SLEEVES THIS YEAR[/quote]
Something will always happen tomorrow. Each person needs to find their own reason. And others need to understand depression and how it affects people. It’s never the same for everyone, and it also effects those surrounding the person at risk. It’s a hard topic to discuss and even harder when harm is part of the equation.
I’ve thought that Mr. Fraction – the writer of Hawkeye, Fantastic Four, FF and Satellite Sam – was a damn good writer. This honesty clinches it for me. Thank you, Mr. Fraction.
Great editorial piece