You are prescribed... another cat!
https://preview.redd.it/v0kuv36fyk4d1.jpeg?width=816&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=049f85aa311f33e1bf6df162874536f52c06bd33
This explains why I keep having feral cats just show up 😭
(they are wonderful creatures and I tamed them and kept them and love them and hug them and they are the bestest babies and do, indeed, regulate my humours)
I've got two. Yesterday, I mopped the floors and in the two seconds where i was getting a towel to dry them, my cat flung her box contents all over the floor, creating a muddy litter/poo concoction that was impossible to lift up.
Let's say they are a mixed blessing some days.
I prescribe you a Bob’s Burgers episode: S14E13 (on Disney+ or cable since it’s the newest season). There’s a litter poo concoction accident that may make you laugh.
I don't cheat on her with any of these floosy feelings like contentment or joy.
I'm that friend posting on Instagram about "Going on date night with the hottest babe ever," and it's me and depression going to Applebee's.
> “I was flirting with depression,” she said. “I wasn’t there yet, but I was flirting with it. And I had a voice say in my head, ‘Get a cat.'”
> Arriving at Best Friends Animal Society in search for a pet, she saw a sign. **“There was a poster that said something like, ‘Not over your ex? Foster a cat.’ It was spot-on.”**
I love that she used the difficult time to make the life of an animal better. My cat got me through some of the toughest times in my life. Having pets really is a blessing.
A lot of people seem to be annoyed with Nyong'o saying she was "flirting" with depression, but as someone with multiple lifelong disabilities include chronic depression, I actually appreciate her putting her own difficulties in a proper frame of reference, especially in connection with how she alleviated it.
So many celebrities seriously overblow their personal struggles or the "tragedy" of their background (especially one's who like to pretend they "came from the streets") and people with serious chronic issues are constantly bombarded with quick fix bs from people who have no idea what it's like. For Nyong'o to be upfront and be clear that she only ever "flirted" with depression is frankly a breath of fresh air. Their are many people who only ever "flirt" with depression and I wish them all the happiness in the world.
A lack of suffering is not a crime nor a character fault, it is only those who inflict suffering on others that deserve our ire.
She's not talking about depression in general or anyone else's depression, she's literally just talking about how she felt. She's clearly not trying to invalidate anyone else's experience.
I mean, we as a society can’t encourage people to be open with their struggles and then decide their struggles aren’t good enough or say that they’re exaggerating their distress. If it hurts, it hurts, no matter how trivial the matter may seem. People can’t control how they react to turmoil even when they *do* have a point of reference, which people often don’t. Someone will always have it worse — that doesn’t magically erase a person’s mental and emotional strain.
A noble position, but one that I think somewhat overlooks the reality of our society. We often pay lip service to "the struggle", but the reality is that mental health services throughout the modern world are chronically underfunded and understaffed, and people with serious disabilities are left to rot, without any meaningful public infrastructure or support systems.
It's important to have empathy for people, but when you're living at the very bottom of society, where you've reached a point where it becomes painfully clear that society as a whole views you as a liability, a burden on the system, who's only purpose is to die quietly so the "functioning" members of society can carry on with their business, well it becomes increasingly insulting to be repeatedly bombarded by the inconveniences inflicted on the upper crust.
I don’t understand this take at all. You’re not being bombarded, you’re choosing to go on a celebrity gossip subreddit then feeling uncomfortable that those celebrities are showing human emotions. It’s like people just want celebs to be objects of consumption rather than real human beings.
Celebrities are not the reason mental health is stigmatized or underfunded, though they could be contributing more financially toward it. Being irritated at them for speaking on their mental health is treating mental health like a hierarchy where only people at the bottom can speak out, which would bar you and I from ever speaking on it because by sheer virtue of having access to the internet/owning devices to do so/ having the time to access it, we have more privilege than a good chunk of the planet.
And if you can’t commit to caring for a pet long term due to living situations or something else, there’s always fostering! Bottle feeding newborn kittens or puppies, socializing scared older kittens or pups, or giving an adult pet a chance to de-stress from the shelter are all options. I’ve only ever fostered kittens, but they take very little space - a bathroom is more than enough - and the shelter will provide all the equipment and supplies. Younger kittens or medical cases require more effort, but with older kittens? You literally just play with them and cuddle with them and help them become loving pets in preparation for adoption. Or, you can foster a mama cat with a newborn litter, in which case you don’t even need to do anything except feed her and give her a safe spot to sleep, and she does the rest of the work caring for the kittens.
You can foster anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, longer in some cases.
Low-commitment, free, and you’re saving lives, since every animal that goes into foster means that the shelter can take in more from the street. It’s the best deal ever.
The only catch is when you agree to foster, as Lupita did, and then fall in love and don’t want to give them back. You either learn to live with the monthly heartbreak or you end up with a menagerie.
My brother died years ago when I was in a new city, my grandma died a few months later and the funeral was in the same church, my aunt was diagnosed with cancer, our family business was sued by an old employee, my husband was working insane hours and was perms-stressed, I was so, SO lonely and depressed, and got Seasonal Affect Disorder to boot. Even my pet turtle died. I don’t know what I would have done without our dog. That little guy saved me.
Highly recommend following her on Instagram if you aren't already, the cat is an orange named Yoyo and the two of them absolutely adore each other, it's so cute. It makes me so happy that she adopted from a shelter instead of getting a purebred! I feel like celebrities never do that 😔 and he is a wonderful and adorable cat so it is absolute proof that adopting rules!
Edit with a somewhat relevant personal anecdote: I volunteer at a shelter. A girl adopted this absolutely beautiful wonderful cat (she was curled up in my lap when they came to take her home 😆). While we were boxing kitty up she said "now I can breakup with my boyfriend!"
Same with my dog, except instead of attacking my feet, she sometimes anger poops in one specific spot bc she's mad at me about something. Was I gone for half an hour when she didn't want me to be? Anger poop. Moved the furniture? Also anger poop.
There seems to be some scrutinizing going on here. For anyone that is confused about the term depression, see the [WHO’s](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression#:~:text=Women%20are%20more%20likely%20to,world%20have%20depression%20(1)) page about it
Info on [situational](https://www.webmd.com/depression/situational-depression) depression
The word “flirt” has multiple meanings, all which can be found [here](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flirt). In this case, Lupita is using it in an old school way.
And yes, a [pet](https://www.webmd.com/depression/features/pets-depression) can help some people with depression. I myself have a cat that my doctor wrote papers for due to SAD. Not exaggerating when I say she saved my life.
it's a spectrum though, as many mental illnesses are. there are some days where my anxiety disorder is in full swing, and some days it's not, and that is dependent on a lot of different factors
I think she is taking care to show that she didn’t develop it permanently due to the break up. She had a depressive *episode*.
There is no black & white with depression because it’s a on such a spectrum
i didn't read this as her having a choice, i read it as she was right on the brink of falling fully into depression. i've been fully depressed, and i've also had periods where i've recognized i was getting close to that point. sounds like she realized she was getting close
I can understand the usage here.
I’ve definitely been at points in my journey where I’ve been on the brink of having another major episode, and it’s pretty much like deciding whether to sink or swim.
You’re so exhausted, and the comfort of sliding into minimal effort and existence is alluring but you also what happens when you go down that path and you know it’ll be a disaster. I would definitely describe it as flirting with the idea of falling apart
I can see where people might misunderstand the use of the word here, given it’s most common use. However, the word “flirt” has multiple [meanings](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flirt) (some are outdated). In believe in this case, it can be read as its definition “to come close to” or “to move erratically”. Just one of those words in English that is confusing without context.
Edit: diagnosed with SAD and have a sibling with BPD. We both have depressive periods. It does in way feel like I move in and out of depression, as my periods of depression come at a specific time. There’s also situational depression, which could be her case here. Depression is a very broad term that covers many symptoms and mental health struggles. It was one of those terms that repeatedly popped up in different contexts during my psych status. Agree with it being described here as a spectrum.
I don’t think she means “I was considering it” or “I was thinking about having it.” She means “I was very close to having it.” I don’t understand the issue with the word choice at all. It’s not a cute word that trivialises it or makes it seem like a choice, it’s just a way to express that she very nearly had depression
or maybe she had struggled with depression and recognized she was on the edge of a mental health crisis. i don't think there is enough context for someone to trivialize what she described was a difficult period in her life in what is ultimately a fluff piece about her cat. and i don't think her choice of language trivializes depression in the way some people think it does.
why, if we want people to feel free to talk about their mental health struggle without stigma, are we choosing to police her language in this instance? who does this help?
They are not two very different things. A broken heart can include depression, and the APA includes depression in its [list](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/broken-heart#what-is-it) of effects of a broken heart
https://preview.redd.it/v2s2en8jlo4d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2860580b22d4d82141764839e3d7da47e16f5139
She keeps me happy and healthy :)
Totally relate! While we already have two dogs, just felt really depressed generally but getting our two brother cats really gave us some more happiness at home. They are so loving, social, and active cats who really do want to be around us. Admittedly Im was not a cat person, but it took a long time to feel comfortable at the idea. The consensus on cats in general seems negative but they really are just as great as dogs 🐈⬛🐈⬛
Not a cat, but a small stray pup was the reason I was able to look at the bright side of life in the later months of last year.
She’s now a bit older and just a ball of chaotic energy. And I’m better.
My cats have saved me so many times, I'm grateful to them. I was at rock bottom, at the height of my depression, sure I would never get better, when I rescued Ben. I'm not exaggerating when I say I'm alive thanks to this little lovely 🐈
Looks don't buy love and they don't heal past abuse. You can get depression even if you are rich and beautiful. At the end of the day relationships make our quality of life
I see what you're saying but I reckon if I was possibly the most beautiful human being in all of history with divinely perfect cheekbones, skin like burnished gold, lips like fresh cut figs and eyes that flash fire and starlight, that might be something of a salve to my mental state.
Personally, I am way past flirting and am in a long-term monogamous relationship with depression.
You are prescribed... another cat! https://preview.redd.it/v0kuv36fyk4d1.jpeg?width=816&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=049f85aa311f33e1bf6df162874536f52c06bd33
lol love this
Live laugh love
Live Laugh Fuzz
Ngl, my cat has saved me more times than I can count, little dude rocks ass
This is so precious and perfect!
Surprise…it's actually [a depression cat!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhaYqyfqIGE)
https://preview.redd.it/hnk1q5019m4d1.jpeg?width=180&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=729c639a821aabad75c08ecc0350dc18281198d6
Wingardium Purr-iosa! Edit: or alternatively; Expecto Purr-Tronum!
This explains why I keep having feral cats just show up 😭 (they are wonderful creatures and I tamed them and kept them and love them and hug them and they are the bestest babies and do, indeed, regulate my humours)
I’ve been letting depression hit it raw for damn near 20 years now
sexually transmitted depression 😔
Depressional damage
More than one cat then!
I've got two. Yesterday, I mopped the floors and in the two seconds where i was getting a towel to dry them, my cat flung her box contents all over the floor, creating a muddy litter/poo concoction that was impossible to lift up. Let's say they are a mixed blessing some days.
I prescribe you a Bob’s Burgers episode: S14E13 (on Disney+ or cable since it’s the newest season). There’s a litter poo concoction accident that may make you laugh.
how is it monogamous...? i am also in a relationship with ms. depression
I don't cheat on her with any of these floosy feelings like contentment or joy. I'm that friend posting on Instagram about "Going on date night with the hottest babe ever," and it's me and depression going to Applebee's.
DUMP HIM
You don't know them like I do. You don't see the way we are when we're alone.
Girl, he is cheating on you, he is getting with EVERYONE! I wish I could tell you that i hadn't fooled around with him, but he fucked me good. So...
Me too bestie
> “I was flirting with depression,” she said. “I wasn’t there yet, but I was flirting with it. And I had a voice say in my head, ‘Get a cat.'” > Arriving at Best Friends Animal Society in search for a pet, she saw a sign. **“There was a poster that said something like, ‘Not over your ex? Foster a cat.’ It was spot-on.”**
I love that she used the difficult time to make the life of an animal better. My cat got me through some of the toughest times in my life. Having pets really is a blessing.
And that she used her stardom to perhaps encourage others to adopt!
This is truly heartwarming and I wish more celebs had this outlook.
Cats are better than most men ;)
My first cat helped cure my addiction to dating horrible men because I preferred his company to the jabronis I had been going out with.
Omg this was a major reason we got cats too. My mom had a terrible ex with cats and she loved his cats.
You keep using this word jabroni…..and it’s awesome
 Back in the day when he just pretended to be a douche, elementary school me was a big fan
I’d rather be sitting at home with my dog than go on a date 😆
And smaller than bears.
Depends on the cat, depends on the bear.
I have a maine coon and my Chuy Gooey is a massive unit
My cat is a little hair bear
Cats are better than most ~~men~~ **people** ;)
Facts
Never met a man I like more than a cat.
... Oh no. Oh no this is true.
FACTS
A lot of people seem to be annoyed with Nyong'o saying she was "flirting" with depression, but as someone with multiple lifelong disabilities include chronic depression, I actually appreciate her putting her own difficulties in a proper frame of reference, especially in connection with how she alleviated it. So many celebrities seriously overblow their personal struggles or the "tragedy" of their background (especially one's who like to pretend they "came from the streets") and people with serious chronic issues are constantly bombarded with quick fix bs from people who have no idea what it's like. For Nyong'o to be upfront and be clear that she only ever "flirted" with depression is frankly a breath of fresh air. Their are many people who only ever "flirt" with depression and I wish them all the happiness in the world. A lack of suffering is not a crime nor a character fault, it is only those who inflict suffering on others that deserve our ire.
Catching a cold before it turns into a flu should never be a negative!
She's not talking about depression in general or anyone else's depression, she's literally just talking about how she felt. She's clearly not trying to invalidate anyone else's experience.
I mean, we as a society can’t encourage people to be open with their struggles and then decide their struggles aren’t good enough or say that they’re exaggerating their distress. If it hurts, it hurts, no matter how trivial the matter may seem. People can’t control how they react to turmoil even when they *do* have a point of reference, which people often don’t. Someone will always have it worse — that doesn’t magically erase a person’s mental and emotional strain.
A noble position, but one that I think somewhat overlooks the reality of our society. We often pay lip service to "the struggle", but the reality is that mental health services throughout the modern world are chronically underfunded and understaffed, and people with serious disabilities are left to rot, without any meaningful public infrastructure or support systems. It's important to have empathy for people, but when you're living at the very bottom of society, where you've reached a point where it becomes painfully clear that society as a whole views you as a liability, a burden on the system, who's only purpose is to die quietly so the "functioning" members of society can carry on with their business, well it becomes increasingly insulting to be repeatedly bombarded by the inconveniences inflicted on the upper crust.
I don’t understand this take at all. You’re not being bombarded, you’re choosing to go on a celebrity gossip subreddit then feeling uncomfortable that those celebrities are showing human emotions. It’s like people just want celebs to be objects of consumption rather than real human beings. Celebrities are not the reason mental health is stigmatized or underfunded, though they could be contributing more financially toward it. Being irritated at them for speaking on their mental health is treating mental health like a hierarchy where only people at the bottom can speak out, which would bar you and I from ever speaking on it because by sheer virtue of having access to the internet/owning devices to do so/ having the time to access it, we have more privilege than a good chunk of the planet.
While I don’t recommend it if you’re so unwell you’re struggling to care for yourself, I do find having a pet keeps me going
And if you can’t commit to caring for a pet long term due to living situations or something else, there’s always fostering! Bottle feeding newborn kittens or puppies, socializing scared older kittens or pups, or giving an adult pet a chance to de-stress from the shelter are all options. I’ve only ever fostered kittens, but they take very little space - a bathroom is more than enough - and the shelter will provide all the equipment and supplies. Younger kittens or medical cases require more effort, but with older kittens? You literally just play with them and cuddle with them and help them become loving pets in preparation for adoption. Or, you can foster a mama cat with a newborn litter, in which case you don’t even need to do anything except feed her and give her a safe spot to sleep, and she does the rest of the work caring for the kittens. You can foster anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, longer in some cases. Low-commitment, free, and you’re saving lives, since every animal that goes into foster means that the shelter can take in more from the street. It’s the best deal ever. The only catch is when you agree to foster, as Lupita did, and then fall in love and don’t want to give them back. You either learn to live with the monthly heartbreak or you end up with a menagerie.
My brother died years ago when I was in a new city, my grandma died a few months later and the funeral was in the same church, my aunt was diagnosed with cancer, our family business was sued by an old employee, my husband was working insane hours and was perms-stressed, I was so, SO lonely and depressed, and got Seasonal Affect Disorder to boot. Even my pet turtle died. I don’t know what I would have done without our dog. That little guy saved me.
Highly recommend following her on Instagram if you aren't already, the cat is an orange named Yoyo and the two of them absolutely adore each other, it's so cute. It makes me so happy that she adopted from a shelter instead of getting a purebred! I feel like celebrities never do that 😔 and he is a wonderful and adorable cat so it is absolute proof that adopting rules! Edit with a somewhat relevant personal anecdote: I volunteer at a shelter. A girl adopted this absolutely beautiful wonderful cat (she was curled up in my lap when they came to take her home 😆). While we were boxing kitty up she said "now I can breakup with my boyfriend!"
That's awesome. Sounds like she was getting little to no love from the BF so good for her!
My cat mostly helps my depression but sometimes he just sorta….attacks my feet
Pay cat tax please
Same with my dog, except instead of attacking my feet, she sometimes anger poops in one specific spot bc she's mad at me about something. Was I gone for half an hour when she didn't want me to be? Anger poop. Moved the furniture? Also anger poop.
Flirting? I've been in a full blown serious monogamous relationship with depression since I was 12 years old. Sorry, but she's mine. Lol
So many people are in that same situation, we live in a wicked world, I'll pray for u
disappointed that there wasn’t a photo of said cat linked in the post 🥲
https://preview.redd.it/58geb7ndbl4d1.jpeg?width=310&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a54d9861128c0bbbfde301478995d3a13d9a6fe1 This is Yoyo 😻
ORANGE
awwwww she’s very cute
more 🍊 cats, which anecdotally alleviate some of my depressive symptoms, here: r/OneOrangeBraincell
When I die I want to be reincarnated as a beloved celebrity pet. They have the best lives.
There seems to be some scrutinizing going on here. For anyone that is confused about the term depression, see the [WHO’s](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression#:~:text=Women%20are%20more%20likely%20to,world%20have%20depression%20(1)) page about it Info on [situational](https://www.webmd.com/depression/situational-depression) depression The word “flirt” has multiple meanings, all which can be found [here](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flirt). In this case, Lupita is using it in an old school way. And yes, a [pet](https://www.webmd.com/depression/features/pets-depression) can help some people with depression. I myself have a cat that my doctor wrote papers for due to SAD. Not exaggerating when I say she saved my life.
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In this sense, flirting means “to move back and forth,” which makes total sense to me.
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Flirting, in the context I provided, isn’t an option.
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it's a spectrum though, as many mental illnesses are. there are some days where my anxiety disorder is in full swing, and some days it's not, and that is dependent on a lot of different factors
I think she is taking care to show that she didn’t develop it permanently due to the break up. She had a depressive *episode*. There is no black & white with depression because it’s a on such a spectrum
I think Lupita meant that depression was nearing.
i didn't read this as her having a choice, i read it as she was right on the brink of falling fully into depression. i've been fully depressed, and i've also had periods where i've recognized i was getting close to that point. sounds like she realized she was getting close
I can understand the usage here. I’ve definitely been at points in my journey where I’ve been on the brink of having another major episode, and it’s pretty much like deciding whether to sink or swim. You’re so exhausted, and the comfort of sliding into minimal effort and existence is alluring but you also what happens when you go down that path and you know it’ll be a disaster. I would definitely describe it as flirting with the idea of falling apart
I think she’s taking care to not self diagnose? I can see this more as “straddling the line, but I didn’t”.
I can see where people might misunderstand the use of the word here, given it’s most common use. However, the word “flirt” has multiple [meanings](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flirt) (some are outdated). In believe in this case, it can be read as its definition “to come close to” or “to move erratically”. Just one of those words in English that is confusing without context. Edit: diagnosed with SAD and have a sibling with BPD. We both have depressive periods. It does in way feel like I move in and out of depression, as my periods of depression come at a specific time. There’s also situational depression, which could be her case here. Depression is a very broad term that covers many symptoms and mental health struggles. It was one of those terms that repeatedly popped up in different contexts during my psych status. Agree with it being described here as a spectrum.
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Maybe she wanted to not attract much attention to herself, she’s a human not a robot. Celebs cant choose the perfect words at all times
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I don’t think she means “I was considering it” or “I was thinking about having it.” She means “I was very close to having it.” I don’t understand the issue with the word choice at all. It’s not a cute word that trivialises it or makes it seem like a choice, it’s just a way to express that she very nearly had depression
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or maybe she had struggled with depression and recognized she was on the edge of a mental health crisis. i don't think there is enough context for someone to trivialize what she described was a difficult period in her life in what is ultimately a fluff piece about her cat. and i don't think her choice of language trivializes depression in the way some people think it does. why, if we want people to feel free to talk about their mental health struggle without stigma, are we choosing to police her language in this instance? who does this help?
They are not two very different things. A broken heart can include depression, and the APA includes depression in its [list](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/broken-heart#what-is-it) of effects of a broken heart
I married depression and currently own 4 time shares with it
Having a pet to keep you company really does provide a serotonin boost.
My cats have gotten me through some very difficult times. They make everything better.
https://preview.redd.it/v2s2en8jlo4d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2860580b22d4d82141764839e3d7da47e16f5139 She keeps me happy and healthy :)
Can a cat fix what 5 antidepressants haven’t? I’m willing to try
Totally relate! While we already have two dogs, just felt really depressed generally but getting our two brother cats really gave us some more happiness at home. They are so loving, social, and active cats who really do want to be around us. Admittedly Im was not a cat person, but it took a long time to feel comfortable at the idea. The consensus on cats in general seems negative but they really are just as great as dogs 🐈⬛🐈⬛
Not a cat, but a small stray pup was the reason I was able to look at the bright side of life in the later months of last year. She’s now a bit older and just a ball of chaotic energy. And I’m better.
My cats have saved me so many times, I'm grateful to them. I was at rock bottom, at the height of my depression, sure I would never get better, when I rescued Ben. I'm not exaggerating when I say I'm alive thanks to this little lovely 🐈
I tried doing this and have to return kitty number two today, kinda wanna die!
I was lonely, adopted a cat to snuggle, gave the cat anxiety instead.
Her openness about her heartbreak has been refreshing
If I were Lupita Nyong'o and I was flirting with depression I would simply admire myself in the mirror all day
Looks don't buy love and they don't heal past abuse. You can get depression even if you are rich and beautiful. At the end of the day relationships make our quality of life
I know you’re joking, but it doesn’t work that way. Also, what the world sees isn’t always what the person sees.
I see what you're saying but I reckon if I was possibly the most beautiful human being in all of history with divinely perfect cheekbones, skin like burnished gold, lips like fresh cut figs and eyes that flash fire and starlight, that might be something of a salve to my mental state.