Depression

By: Kiranjeet Tamber

What is depression when you think about it? A mental disorder? Or just a feeling you get temporarily that eventually subsides into the many interesting strings in your brain. In the novel After by Francis Chalifour, the character Francis describes depression as "that old grief monster" (Chalifour, 2005, pg, 60). As I was reading this heart touching novel I came across the article Depression Symptoms and Warning Signs by Melinda Smith. I really enjoyed this article because it is essentially a guide in giving knowledge about depression and how if affects different age groups and genders.

Francis is a fifteen year old boy who was deeply affected by his father's suicide. As I was reading this novel, I came to realize that Francis had various symptoms describing a person who was battling with depression, some symptoms including aggressive behaviour, lack of interest in usual enjoyable activities such as socializing with friends and family, and drastic change in his sleep and diet routine. As I continued to read this novel the changes that occurred in Francis's behaviours, both emotionally and physically were radical. These changes were very much evident during his fathers funeral and also a week after his fathers funeral. During his fathers funeral, Francis kept mentioning how he wanted to punch one of the assistants at the funeral house who was only trying to make him feel comfortable. He said "I would have liked to pull his freaking smile off his face and stomp on it" (Chalifour, 2005, pg, 16). He went from a happy, kind, and caring individual to a depressed and emotionally torn individual. To conclude, this article has helped me understand Francis more emotionally. I would recommend this article to someone who might think they are battling with depression since it provides numerous phone numbers and extra information on depression and how to help not only yourself, but also others battling with this unwanted misery. 

Works Cited

Chalifour, Francis. After. Toronto, Ontario: Tundra Books, 2005. Print.

    Smith, Melinda, Joanna Saisan, and Jeanne Segal. 'Depression Symptoms & Warning Signs: How To Recognize Depression Symptoms And Get Effective Help'. Helpguide.org. N.p., 2015. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.