The revelation that The Boss, Bruce Springsteen, suffered from major depression for a good part of his life should not come as a revelation to those of us who have had bouts with depression. [STORY LINK] The ACE Study revealed that about 23% of the population will experience depression at some point in our lives. [LINK HERE] Women suffer at a rate about 10 percentage points higher than men do, but when you think of the U.S. population, there are a lot of us.
A second story, where the Republican presidential candidate appears to shame soldiers with PTSD, gives us another reason that helps explain the hiding behaviors. [STORY HERE] We get shamed. This was true when George McGovern selected Senator Thomas Eagleton as his vice presidential running mate in 1972. Senator Eagleton had been treated for severe depression and hospitalized three times. [STORY HERE] Despite the prevalence of various behaviors, shaming is apparently the U.S. standard for depression and PTSD, any mental issue for that matter.
President Obama’s message, in contrast, is refreshing. [STORY HERE] He stated in a Town Hall “If you break your leg, you’re going to go to the doctor to get that leg healed,” Obama replied. “If, as a consequence of the extraordinary stress and pain that you are witnessing, typically, in a battlefield, something inside you feels like it’s wounded, it’s just like a physical injury. You’ve got to go get help. There’s nothing weak about that. It’s strong.”
We get a very small glimpse into Springsteen’s childhood in the article I cite, but since “Dutch” Springsteen also suffered from depression, Bruce had at least one ACE. This article [LINK HERE] refers to Dutch’s drinking and short temper, along with clashes with Bruce. So its possible that alcohol abuse and a couple of other ACEs might have been present. This is just speculation, but one ACE Bruce didn’t have was an absent father. In fact, it was said that their relationship became closer later in life.
One other point to make, if you don’t believe that kids model behaviors they observe, check out this article about the impact the Republican presidential candidate is having on kids across the country. [STORY HERE] School kids are apparently yelling "Build the wall" at Latino students and mocking the weight challenged and handicapped.
We have a tough job in front of us. The Boss helped us by revealing his lifelong battle with depression. It’s interesting that his wife originally objected to the disclosure, but is now supportive. I grew up with Springsteen’s music, and I wasn’t aware of his issues. Now that I am, my respect for him has grown even greater.
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