"Not Waving but Drowning"

addiction, depression, suicide / By

In the wake of yet another death due to the pain of life – Robin Williams leaving this earth- I posted a poem that seems to have struck a chord with many.  Here it is in full:

Not Waving but Drowning

BY STEVIE SMITH 1902 – 1971

Nobody heard him, the dead man,   
But still he lay moaning:
I was much further out than you thought   
And not waving but drowning.

Poor chap, he always loved larking
And now he’s dead
It must have been too cold for him his heart gave way,   
They said.

Oh, no no no, it was too cold always   
(Still the dead one lay moaning)   
I was much too far out all my life   
And not waving but drowning.
Some of the responses to the FB post were:
“WOW. “Not waving but drowning “. When you get too famous and too big – other people are afraid to come close, people seem to think you don’t need much help and they stay away when you need them the most. Sad but true –”  SP

“That poem is exactly what it feel like to someone suffering through severe depression. As one who suffers with illness into a decade; One minute your on the beach waving, and the next minute you are out to sea. When you’re out to sea you have to pray their is someone on shore looking for you…in many cases it’s easier to just let our depressed friends lapse from our memory…”  SS

“So sad he was out so far beyond help. Such a loss.” MBD


Depression coupled with addiction, or addiction as a response to depression is toxic, sad, and can be fatal.  Reach out, get help, find help, be helpful, ask for help.  Make it CLEAR you are not waving.  If you are unsure about someone else ask, wait a moment and ask again.  

We all say we are FINE as a knee jerk reaction to the question “how are you?”.  Maybe we need to ask twice.  As SP says, sometimes the more famous, or the more competent or the more collected one appears, the more difficult it is to ask for help. 
 

You can call and ask HOW YOU can be of help if you are unsure. Definitely call if you need help.  Another person’s voice and listening ear may be all you need.  

Kyczy Hawk E-RYT200, RTY500 is the author of “Yoga and the Twelve Step Path”, a leader of Y12SR classes, and the creator of SOAR(tm) (Success Over Addiction and Relapse) a teacher certification training now available in an ONLINE study course.  Scroll to the end of the page and sign up now http://www.yogarecovery.com/SOAR__tm__Cert_all.html

You may also take her ONLINE recovery infused yoga classes 
http://yogarecovery.studiolivetv.com/MemberRegistrationYR.aspx
Kyczy Hawk E-RYT200 is the author of “Yoga and the Twelve Step Path”, a leader of Y12SR classes, and the creator of SOAR(tm) (Success Over Addiction and Relapse) a teacher certification training she holds with her good friend Kent Bond E-RYT500. Find out more about her, her classes and the training at www.yogarecovery.com