Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses of modern times. Although it was long considered a temporary state of sadness or weakness, it is now clear that it is a serious health disorder that profoundly affects an individual's emotions, thoughts, behavior, and quality of life. More and more people are struggling with depression, but not everyone is ready to talk about it.
Montenegrin singer-songwriter Vanja Radovanović yesterday released the single "Çudovište" on his YouTube channel, which talks about depression, for which he wrote the music and lyrics himself, while the arrangement was entrusted to To Bole MartinovićThe video that accompanies the song was made by Petar Kasalica.
As he points out in an interview for "Vijesti", this is the first track from the trilogy "Mental Diary". Through this trilogy, he plans to address topics such as anxiety and trauma, and the audience will not have to wait long for these tracks to be on the air, as he will release one every week.
Radovanović talks about his struggles, as well as his new singles, for "Vijesti"...
Vanja, you started your series of singles with the song “Çudovište” (Monster), which talks about depression. While it used to be embarrassing to talk about this condition, today more and more people are admitting that they have a problem and that they struggle with their own “monsters” (depression). Why did you personify depression as a monster, did you experience it as pressure coming from outside or as an inner voice that is the hardest to deal with?
Because it is a kind of monster - the one within us, which scares us, holds us back, humiliates us, demotivates us, while reinforcing our weaknesses and traumas, convincing us that we are not worthy of the world, nor is the world worthy of us.
This is the first single in the series and was released yesterday on the so-called most depressing day of the year. Do you see that date as a symbolic way to tell the story of depression as one of the most widespread diseases of modern society? Do you think that this silent and massive disease is talked about enough?
It was symbolically published on the so-called Blue Monday, the third Monday in January, unofficially the most depressing day of the year, but that is the least important. There is no bad or good timing for a story about mental health, because it must be at least as important to us as physical health, although it may not seem that way, because it is not as visible to the environment and is easily concealed. This topic is definitely being talked about, enough or not, I don't know, I think that it can always be talked about more, and everyone in their own way, because even one honest confession can move others to imagine, think and talk about their condition. And that is enough to start.
Music heals, and you decided to bare yourself not only with this, but also with the following singles, and let them be your personal confession. How much did music help you cope with all those states and bad emotions?
It's always helped me to channel these things, to put everything into a framework, into a kind of mental diary that helps you transfer emotions into a more visible and concrete state, to understand them and turn them into something more bearable. Just transferring emotions to paper initially brings relief, and if there's a little music, it's even greater.
Depression often goes through several stages - from the first signs of fatigue and loss of motivation, through feelings of emptiness and inner hopelessness, to the stage of self-criticism and social withdrawal, and all the way to complete exhaustion. How difficult is it to recognize depression in these initial stages, and how much does deceiving and lying to yourself "that it's not depression and that it's just a temporary condition" help this monster develop even more?
As with many conditions, one of the hardest things is that first step, becoming aware of yourself and accepting that you have a problem and finally facing it. It's not easy, because the environment still considers this form of recognition and admission of weakness, which is not very popular in patriarchal societies, especially among the male population, although depression does not choose gender, age, or anything else.
The song conveys messages like "what have you achieved in life," "you are nothing," "you are worthless," "no one loves you" - sentences that we often repeat to ourselves when we are in this state. To what extent do such comments and internal monologues feed depression and turn it into a "monster" that takes control of our thoughts?
In my experience, they are the most dangerous because the line we set and allow these thoughts to be important or not is easily crossed without us realizing it, and in no time we find ourselves in a situation where we suddenly have very little or no control over them. They are normal when they are under control, but that line is very thin.
If depression is a monster, what does it fear most - confronting it, talking about the problem, or anything that might break its hold on us?
As far as I know, confronting is crucial because then it stops being invisible, then talking and naming the problem, bringing things to light, and finally taking action, because even the smallest step breaks the feeling of total dissatisfaction.
Depression is presented as a “Monster,” and what form will the other two songs take in which you also describe some of the difficult emotions and internal battles we experience?
The trilogy is called “Mental Diary” and each of the songs deals with a problem that I have experienced. The second song is called “Anxious” and of course it talks about anxiety which is very present today in a huge number of people, and the third “Under the Carpet” is a story about trauma and how to deal with it. They don’t have a special shape like a monster, but there was no need for that.
While depression often comes with a feeling of hopelessness and loss of will, anxiety brings constant tension and fear, and trauma leaves deep wounds and reminders of the past. What symptoms often go unrecognized, but can seriously affect our lives?
I have no professional knowledge in this field, everything I have experienced and learned is from the position of a man who at some point faced these problems and everything I have written is from the first person, nothing more than a public confession. There are plenty of symptoms, I should not and could not engage in analysis, the only thing I can say, and what is the point of publishing this trilogy, is that if you feel discomfort and restlessness, seek out a professional and talk about it, because it is not at all scary, and they will almost certainly help you. The stigma associated with mental health must be broken, because these types of problems have always existed, they were just not recognized. There is no shame in facing them.
Many people experience anxiety as an “inner restlessness” that is difficult to articulate. Could this condition be a driving force, rather than a paralyzing force?
I don't know, I wouldn't play with assumptions, my experience is just mine and doesn't mean that someone else would solve the problem by approaching it in the same way. Personally, I think that anxiety in some form can increase focus and motivation, but it certainly needs to be recognized in order to be directed. It's certainly not a good state, on the contrary. It's better not to guess and consult with someone who is an expert, and not just with those who have experienced these conditions or are experiencing them. That's good for identifying the problem, but it can hardly solve it.
Depression and anxiety often create traumatic experiences, and traumatic experiences can trigger depression and anxiety. What are the most common invisible consequences of trauma that can lead us to depression and anxiety?
Trauma pushes us into a constant feeling of discomfort, insecurity and a sense of emptiness, and that is a sure path to depression and anxiety. “Under the Carpet” is the title of the song that imposed itself as the only way to deal with the traumas from the period when I was growing up. In short - you survived, it didn't kill you, you have to move on, “you're a man - grow up!”, as the lyrics say. The problem is that in reality, trauma doesn't stay in the past, but follows us throughout our lives and we have to pull it out from under that carpet and face it. It doesn't mean it will disappear, but it will be recognized, which is important. In short, let the conclusion be like the one at the end of the video: Talk. Share. Help is available. You are not alone!
Bonus video:
