"It's kind of a funny story"

I recently finished the book "It's kind of a funny story" by Ned Vizzini.  It is a fantastic book for anyone with depression and for those who live with/love someone with depression.  He addresses mental illness in a way that is refreshing and real since he did spend time in a psychiatric hospital for five days. 

Here's the synopsis of the book (from Goodreads):

Like many ambitious New York City teenagers, Craig Gilner sees entry into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School as the ticket to his future. Determined to succeed at life--which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job--Craig studies night and day to ace the entrance exam, and does. That's when things start to get crazy. 

At his new school, Craig realizes that he isn't brilliant compared to the other kids; he's just average, and maybe not even that. He soon sees his once-perfect future crumbling away. The stress becomes unbearable and Craig stops eating and sleeping--until, one night, he nearly kills himself. 

Craig's suicidal episode gets him checked into a mental hospital, where his new neighbors include a transsexual sex addict, a girl who has scarred her own face with scissors, and the self-elected President Armelio. There, isolated from the crushing pressures of school and friends, Craig is finally able to confront the sources of his anxiety. 

Ned Vizzini, who himself spent time in a psychiatric hospital, has created a remarkably moving tale about the sometimes unexpected road to happiness. For a novel about depression, it's definitely a funny story.

Some things from the book that really hit home for me were when the main character talks about "Tentacles," "Anchors" and  "The Shift."

"Tentacles" are the tasks and events that invade your life.  They make you feel bad, stressed, depressed, or panicked.  These could be things you have to do or feel like you have to do.  "Anchors" are the opposite of "Tentacles" in that they are things that occupy your mind and make you feel good, even if it is only temporary.  "The Shift" is when your life comes back to you.  Your brain works, you are no longer depressed.  There might be little shifts but "The Shift" is the big one where everything is okay again.  

This book has made me start to explore my words and terms for different moments in my depression.  I haven't given it a lot of thought but I like being able to put a word to things that are intangible.  If I explain these words to my friends and family, it saves me from having to explain in greater detail when that is often quite difficult, if not impossible, for me in the moment.  Definitely need to work on this some more.