Looking For Depression In All The Wrong Places

Think you know what depression looks like? It might be harder to spot than you think. A mental health story for children.

The Eager Beaver scurried into the wood, sniffing the air before him. They had told him that he was here.

Depression!

He caught the scent of someone in the air and darted off to his left. In a clearing, sat on a tree stump, he found a lion, dancing and laughing.

'Hi, I'm Eager Beaver,' he announced.

The lion stopped dancing and smiled down at the Eager Beaver.

'Well hello to you good sir,' said the lion. 'Welcome to our wood. I am Happy Dappy, the laughing lion and I am so HAPPY!' And is if to prove the point, he leapt into the air with a shriek of delight before breaking into another dance, humming a happy song.

Eager Beaver thought there was something strange looking about the lion. 'Say, are you wearing a m...'

'Happy, happy happy!' interrupted the lion. 'Let me see your happy face!'

Eager Beaver smiled. 'Say friend, maybe you can help. I heard that Depression lives down here somewhere. Do you know where he is?'

Happy Dappy stopped dancing. 'Depression? Well he's certainly not here. I'm far too happy for depression! Maybe try over there,' he said, pointing further into the wood.

'Okay, thanks,' said the Eager Beaver, trotting off.

A short while later, he came across another clearing. There was a small pond in the middle and a Frog sat on a stone. The frog was crying.

'Hey there, why are you crying?' asked the Eager Beaver.

The Frog looked up, sniffing. 'Oh, hello. I'm Sally and I'm so sad. My favourite lily pad sank into the pond and now I have to sit on this cold, jagged rock and, and...' Sally started sobbing uncontrollably.

'There, there,' said Eager Beaver. But Sally was inconsolable. Eager Beaver looked around and suddenly spotted something. He picked it up and brought it to Sally, dropping it into the pond.

'Sniff. What is that?' asked Sally, her crying stopped.

'It's a big leaf. It fell off that giant tree over there,' said Eager Beaver.

'But it's not a lily pad,' said Sad Sally, tears welling up.

'Perhaps not, 'said Eager Beaver. 'But I bet it would float and be more comfortable that that rock.'

Sally thought about it for a moment then tentatively reached out a foot to the leaf, then another and then finally put her whole weight on the leaf.

'Oh thank you, thank you!' said Sally. 'This is so wonderful and soft. Oh however may I repay you?'

'Well,' said the Eager Beaver. 'I'm looking for Depression. Have you seen him?'

'Oh, him,' said Sally. 'Last time I saw him he was down by the lake. But I wouldn't go near him if I were you, he isn't very friendly.'

'Okay, thanks,' said Eager Beaver, running off towards the lake.

At the lake, he found an alligator. He was snapping and shouting to himself.

'Excuse me, are you Depression?' asked the Eager Beaver.

'No I am not,' said the alligator. 'I am Alan and I am angry. Someone has stolen my cheese and I am very hungry.'

'Oh,' said Eager Beaver. He was beginning to think he would never find depression. 'Are you sure someone stole it? Perhaps you misplaced it?'

'Of course someone stole it!' snapped the alligator angrily. 'I bet it was that lion, he's always down here bouncing around telling me how happy he is. Why just last week I was wading through the lake, snuffling in my favourite reeds when...'

The alligator stopped. He snuffled in the reeds with his mouth and came out with a large lump of cheese.

'Well, what do you know?' he said, smiling. 'It wasn't stolen at all! I must have left it here. Ho, ho, what a silly alligator I am.' And with that, he began munching happily to himself.

Eager Beaver trudged off. What a waste of time this had been! He sat down glumly next to a tree but all of a sudden, he heard a rustling in the bushes. He looked over and a great big lion jumped out.

'Cheer up, grumpy pants,' shouted the lion. 'Happy Harry is here!'

Eager Beaver was confused. 'Wait, I already met a happy lion. He said his name was Dappy.'

The lion laughed, a big booming laugh. 'Ho, ho ho! There is only one happy lion in this wood and that's me, Happy Harry the Laughing Lion!' And with that he bounded off, singing a song to himself.

What a strange day this had been. He had met happy lions, sad frogs, angry alligators but no-one who was depressed.

He hadn't been watching where he was walking and before he knew it, he had come right back to where he started. He saw Dappy sat on the tree stump again but this time he looked different. Eager Beaver walked up to him. Dappy saw him coming and quickly reached for something at his feet but it was too late. Eager Beaver had seen it.

'Hey!' said Eager Beaver. 'You're not a lion at all. That's just a mask!'

'Why I don't know what you're talking about,' said Dappy uncertainly. 'I'm Dappy and I'm so ha...' He stopped mid sentence and lowered the mask. 'You're right. I'm not a lion at all. I'm just a monkey. And I'm not happy, I'm depressed.'

'You're depressed?' shouted Eager Beaver. 'Fantastic!'

'What do you mean,' asked Dappy.

'Oh, sorry,' said Eager Beaver. 'It's just that I've been looking for you everywhere.

'You have?'

'Yes sir. No one knew what you looked like so I wanted to find out.' Eager Beaver looked him up and down. 'You don't look like I thought you would.'

'How so?' asked Dappy.

'Well for one thing, you're not crying,' said Eager Beaver.

'I don't cry. That's Sad Sally. And I don't get angry either, that's Angry Alan.'

'But you are happy,' said Eager Beaver. 'I saw you laughing and smiling earlier.'

'Oh, that,' said Dappy. 'I was just pretending. It makes others feel better if they think I am happy.'

'So if you're not sad and you're not angry and you're not happy, what are you?' asked Eager Beaver confused.

'Nothing,' said Dappy. 'Being depressed isn't about feeling sad or angry. I don't feel anything. I just pretend.' And with that, he let out a big yawn.

'You tired, fella?' asked Eager Beaver.

'I'm always tired,' said Depressed Dappy.

'I'm not surprised,' said Eager Beaver. 'It must be exhausting always trying to pretend to be something you're not.'

Dappy looked at Eager Beaver and smiled. 'You know what, it really is.'

They sat in silence together for a long moment.

'So, why are you depressed?' asked Eager Beaver.

'It's a long story,' said Dappy 'And I'm not even sure I can remember it all.'

Eager Beaver smiled kindly. 'Let's go get an ice cream.'

Reviews

[Tumara Hall]

Wow! I'm so impressed that you wrote something as wonderful and inspiring as this! I look forward to reading more of your work! Thankyou for sharing such a beautiful piece.

[Marie]

Thiss sounds like a good childrens' story, but it's more than that. It has a lesson.