On the outside, you look the same; smiling and pretending is so much work, but inside, it’s a different story. You start to hate yourself. You’re so alone, so unbelievably alone– Marcus
While watching season 2, we can see a lot of characters dealing with their own issues, whether that be mental illness, depression, body issues, self-esteem, etc.
Depression can hit you like a ton of bricks before you notice it. As an avid YA show watcher, I’m always curious how shows show a character’s path during a depressive episode.
Ginny and Georgia season 2 handled the progression of depression, how bad it can get, and ways to deal with it. Marcus and Ginny especially.
While Ginny deals with her issues, she fails to see Marcus’ depression, resulting in them breaking up. I’m not blaming Ginny for her fallout with Marcus, but Ginny being self-centered was an issue I had with her since season one.
It was apparent that Marcus had depression since season 1 when he opened up about his friend dying.
Growing up in an area where depression and mental illnesses were somewhat taboo and not talked about, I was touched by Marcus’ POV episode.
It’s hard to say the words “I’m not okay.” And maybe instead of talking, you self-destruct, stay to yourself more. Sometimes you don’t say anything because you don’t want to be a burden or judged.
But how can you talk to people when you feel like they wouldn’t understand you, listen to you, and possibly gaslight you?
You don’t.
You keep everything bottled up inside of you and look towards other outlets to let your feelings. Marcus drank alcohol to numb the pain away. Ginny burned herself to distract herself from her pain.
The one thing I say about depression is that it never truly leaves you. It lurks in the back of your mind, waiting and biding its time to come back. It’s a mental struggle to get out of the state of depression.
Marcus wanted Ginny to be there for him like he was for her, but she couldn’t at the time. I think Marcus is the type of person who doesn’t want to burden anyone with his problems and keeps everything to himself.
He might wait for someone to ask him, but he will likely keep to himself until it gets too much…..and it did.
Marcus did want he needed to do: break up with Ginny to work on himself to become a better version of himself. I don’t think he did it in the best way, but it was his process of dealing with his depression.
We know it’s not the first time he’s been in this depression state, and how his family dealt with it was truly remarkable. His mother put him back on medication, which probably wasn’t an easy decision.
From season 1, we see Ginny struggle with her lifestyle. And after the revelation of her mother’s killings and self-harm, she opened up to Zion, who embraced her and got her the help she needed.
What was very realistic about Ginny’s character in season 2 was her relapse. We see Ginny really struggle with not self-harming herself for a few episodes. It was heartbreaking to watch her break down on the phone with her therapist, and burn herself again. I know I was screaming at the t.v. telling her not to do it.
Depression shows you that just because someone looks happy on the outside, doesn’t mean they’re not hurting on the inside.
People could be happy for a time, but they can be triggered and pulled back into a dark space. But given time and people to depend on, that person will get better.
It’s hard for anyone to talk to their loved ones about depression, mental health, or their mental state. It’s scary to open up about not feeling happy, thoughts of self-harm.
I’ve started to ask my friends how their mental state is, which is very different from the typical “How are you doing.” I challenge you to do that and notice how the other person responds.
Please take care of your mental health. And know it is okay to ask for help when needed.
Nadine Bourne's Blog 