Jennifer Niven's All The Bright Places is a beautiful and heart-breaking love story about a girl and boy who suffer from grief and mental illness. In one chapter titled "How To Survive Quicksand", Theodore Finch describes his mental illness as sinking into quicksand. In his way, he lists all the things you should when you find yourself about to be swallowed up. Be still. Relax. Breathe deeply. Doing these things will allow you to float to the top and pull yourself out. It's not only an apt metaphor for some mental illness but for how many of us here feel from time to time. I know I've felt this way often and there's no lonelier feeling in the world. It sounds so simple, but it so hard to do. When you're sinking, your instincts are to flail and thrash and scream and claw. And all you do is sink faster. But, if you can, try it. Be still. Relax. Breathe deeply. And you might be able to pull yourself out. There will be other quicksand pits. But, if you can pull yourself out, then the rules for doing so become more than just words and you will know what it feels like to do it next time. And it just might be a little easier then. Each time a little easier.
