Actor and writer Wil Wheaton is known for playing beloved roles such as Gordie in Stand By Me, the gifted Wesley Crusher in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and more recently, guest starring as a less amicable version of himself on The Big Bang Theory. Off-screen, his trademark wit and insight has a regular audience on his blog and Twitter. But this week, while posting frequently about cleaning out his garage, Wheaton’s tweets took a more sentimental turn as he rediscovered mementoes of a friend he’d lost to suicide.
In the post linked above, Wheaton details his own experience with depression and anxiety and the importance of seeking help. He goes on to poetically describe the moment he knew getting treatment had changed his life for the better:
“… Anne and I were out for a walk. I felt her hand in mine, and realized that I didn’t have any lingering tension or unhappiness just buzzing around in my skull. I was just enjoying a walk with my wife, and holding her hand.
And I began to cry, because I was so happy.
‘It’s like I was in a loud room for so long, I didn’t know how loud it was,’ I said, ‘and all I have now is the ringing in my ears.’
She squeezed my hand and I said, “I’m going to remember that ringing in my ears, so I never go back into that room again.”
Wheaton’s words remind us that success and fame do not exclude one from struggle. Similarly, fear does not exclude one from relief. Don’t settle for the lies and the loneliness, but rather, speak up and reach out for the help you deserve. You can read more of Wheaton’s thoughts on depression here.