How do we combat activist depression?

I gotta go out in a sec, but just briefly: why not stop being an activist?

And stop thinking you can save the world - you can't.

this is a good point, you need to know the limitations of your percieved responsibility, one can only do so much.

Also, we are in this for a long haul, so if depression creeps up, take a break! I've been an "activist" in one way or another for good 14 years now and have taken breaks from it all when it gets too much and get back into it when i'm ready.

The word "activist" is a pet hate of some here, but just changing the definition of the word only while doing exactly the same things is IMO quite silly. GB is still an activist whether he likes it or not

There has been some research that suggests people active in social change movements suffer less from depression than the 'average' population. Can't say that it really the case for me, as i suffer from depression from to time. I think burn-out is probaly a major cause of depression, as well as other problems in the 'movement'.

A few ideas:

Develop a strong social support network.

keep/make friends outside the 'movement', it helps keep you grounded and provides a space, where politics are not in the foreground.

Take time out, esp after long periods inmersed in activity, the struggle will still be there when you get back.

If your group loses a particular battle, don't just plough into the next one, take time to reflect.

Be supportive of others and tolerant of other peoples needs and views.

Keep an eye on your feelings, energy levels, levels of stress etc and bail out if you need to.

Be honest with the people your working with and tell them if you find you can't do the important thing you promise to do. if they are worth working with, they will respect this and not guilt trip you.

Avoid working with intolerent arseholes.

Enjoy yourself, don't just do 'political' stuff.

8)

I'm with Jason on this one, but just to add a couple of things....

1. A TUC-finded study of depression & the workplace found that one of the main causes of depression was working in an environment where you have little or no say in what goes on. This is something of a double-edged sword for "activists." On the one hand, you work for change & you realise that (to coin a phrase ) another world is possible. On the other, when things go badly, you think "I'm pissing in the wind here," or to use a favourite Russian phrase, "Slowly but surely I am turning into a cock without the accompaniment of an accordion."

2. Last time this kind of thing was discussed, someone (forget who, sorry) suggested a "2 activities"-guideline, i.e. don't spread yourself too thin. So, one workplace-y type thing, talking workers rights with your co-workers, using your knowledge and experience to help out when you can, being there for your mates when the union fucks up.... that kind of thing. And one community-based type thing -- residents association, or whatever you have. That's what I do, anyway.

And I'm not depressed.

OH GOD, IT ALL SEEMS SO POINTLESS

If you make sure that the actions are funny enough on their own then it isnt such a big disapointment at the end of the day if the goals are not reached. To accept to some degree that you are not perfect and can not live by all of your rules is also a good way to not burn out.

Some people claim that it is the selfsacrifice of leftists that makes them burn out. I therefore took some time to think about why satanists who claim to be hedonists and egoists still seems to be so pissed off:

http://www1.shellkonto.se/nilswarm/crimethinc/content.php?article.71

A burnoutzine in progres:

http://www1.shellkonto.se/nilswarm/crimethinc/forum_viewtopic.php?6.632

i decided to experience the pleasures of capitalism and booked into a posh hotel for the weekend. it wasn't even that expensive cause they do out of season weekend breaks. so i switched my consience off and tried really hard to turn my political head off (not entirely successfully) cause on the first night I met a liverpool lad in the pub and we talked about working class history in liverpool etc. but he started it!

stuff like going for bike rides or walks is good too. and seeing what you do in a wider perspective as part of something bigger, cause its easy to get bogged down in thinking about things in terms of success and failure all the time. its always seemed true to me that even actions that fail usually have something successful within them, even if its something like learning your limitations as a group or improving what you can do next time.

i did also take a break for six months but, after enjoying being 'normal' to start with, i ended up finding not fighting back depressing.

wish there was a bit more going on in manc at the moment thb, its now too quiet.

I have noticed the benefits of Karate for helping to keep you grounded, and that is outside of a whole new set of people you meet with experiences not in the 'anarchist' traditions...

Also, it really improved my ability to think, it gives you space and totally clears your mind while you are training (if you try to become good by actually trying to implement what the Sifu is trying to say that is)...

I really miss it now, my club was so good while it lasted, approx 8 years...

haha, i win, i did it for TWELVE years!! it makes me feel good when i get one over on people. i'm sad like that.

Still though, any kind of martial art is good for stress relief. however, we've got to look at its origins which is kinda feudal and a little unpleasant which isn't so good.

What stops me from getting depressed is staying up to watch the end of Rosemary's Baby on telly last night, then having to get up 3½ hours later to go to work.

Bloody hell, I'm knackered.

yeah buts that only if u take anarchism to be wanky writings ranting on about how anarchism is the eternal voice of the dissenter blah blah blah or the struggle for total freedom as if freedom is some sort of ahistorical absolute and not a social product.

anyway anrchism should be about the creation of libertarian communism and hence not defined by wankers like george woodcock or peter marshall but rather by the self activity of the working class whether its the paris commune or the the workers councils of hungary 56, that is anarchism, not some useless reactionary shite about absolute freedom.

I disagree... certainly karate, the way of the empty hand, was originally an anti-imperialist method of fighting the oppressors... Japan invaded Okinawa, and forbid the peasantry from carrying weapons... hence they developed what is currently called karate... of course it was systemised/formalised/codified in the late 19th/early 20th century and lost some of its original meaning. But there have been efforts to reclaim it and it is compatible with class struggle anarchism today if you debunk the authority of the systems 'official' and/or reactionary mouthpieces...

It was implied by it being said that we share a tradition with cunts like Proudhon. (I assume that's who was refered to, anyway)

The fact it has the word "communism" in it seems to scare of the worst elements by itself.

Also, I refuse to accept the validity of anything written in the last 30 years.

Apart from Aufheben. Aufheben is awesome. I'm going to start selling it outside factories.

Nah, as far as I'm concerned, 'activism' (I object to the word, but won't be a pedant) is a cure for depression, not a cause. But I guess, if we're talking about preventing burnout, I'd suggest doing stuff like community work where you get lots of support, nothing makes you feel better than that. For example, we've been organising against the closure of our local bus station, and gotten shitloads of support - which, if nothing else, just feels fucking amazing, and makes you feel far better about activism.

I didn't believe it myself, but going around talking to people, and tackling issues that affect them, and having them relate to you really does feel better than, say, trashing a GM crop test site, or blockading a military base. I think the main cause of activist burn out is endless actions that don't achieve anything (or if they do, you rarely get any thanks for it) and don't build support for a better world - if you're not getting anywhere, of course it's going to piss you off.

So, yea, my prescription is, if you're feeling shite about 'activism', then find a campaign that had large amounts of support and relates to the real issues facing people. Quite apart from any argument about it being more effective, or what anarchists should be doing, the support you get, and the fact you seem to be getting somewhere (even if you lose, there will be shit loads of people you'll have made links with, convinced anarchists aren't all nutters etc.) makes you feel a shit load fucking better.

Or, you can just ignore me and go hunt sabbing.

And the bast part is all the working class carwaserhers who with a little help from Myagi would be able to turn their bodys into a deadly weapen in no time at all.

Wax on, wax off!

I was gonna laugh at this but then...

...you made me feel embarassed about laughing.