Excerpt:
In many stories about fighting against paranormal monsters, (Buffy, Charmed, Supernatural, and more) the protagonists have at some point complained about their never-ending battles and then had to adapt to the realization that this is their new normal. They keep fighting, and they win most fights, but the monsters will never stop coming. They'll never be able to completely eradicate evil. And neither will we. We can't completely get rid of our mental health challenges, can't undo the traumas, can't eradicate depression/anxiety; but we, like these characters, can grow stronger with each lesson, each battle won. Every time I come out of a depressive slump, I become a little more aware of the reality of my life, the good and the bad alike, and I see them for how they truly are. When I started noticing that, and really paying attention, I noticed that those observations helped me the next time I felt depressed. Oh, it didn't stop the depression, but I could remind myself that it wouldn't always feel this way. When my anxiety flares badly, or I spend days actively battling the shame messages I've learned throughout life, it feels like a hopeless, endless battle. But if I do my training and use my tools, I sit down with my journal and I write about it, I go to therapy and I talk about those feelings, I get out some crayons and scribble those feelings, and it's the same as these characters gathering their potions and stakes and fighting back against the thing attacking them.
You can find the rest of the essay at https://popcltrgeek.blogspot.com/2021/04/depression-monsters-abound-tv-can-teach.html