I don’t know where we got this connection between scented candles and depression. A tub of hot water and a candle that smells like a sugar cookie will, shockingly enough, NOT fix the chemical imbalance in my brain. Here are some reasons why:
1. Depression is an actual illness.
It’s so much deeper than a bad day or just “feeling off.”
2. Bath and Body Works isn’t a medical school.
So, it’s a little ridiculous to expect that a product from there could cure your illness, right? (Also, if it were a medical school, I spend so much time in there that I’d have a PhD. Thanks.)
3. Nobody’s symptoms are the same.
Since everyone experiences different symptoms in different ways, things that make Person A feel better might send Person B off the deep end. How could a candle and a bath fix everybody?
4. Self-care is more than cute infographics from Tumblr.
I’m not telling you not to take bubble baths and enjoy scented candles anymore. What I am telling you is that self-care is more than putting on a face mask, tidying up your room, or deep-conditioning your hair. Sometimes, self-care is “Have I had enough to eat? Am I hydrated? Do I need to wash my face or brush my teeth?”
5. If scented candles could cure illnesses, the government would have made them illegal by now.
I mean…right? The link between scented candles and depression is (falsely, thanks to the internet) a really popular way people think you can “cure” the illness…But can you imagine Big Pharma allowing candle companies to cure people instead of getting the money themselves? Unheard of.
6. Sometimes depression is mixed with other issues, like body dysmorphia or an eating disorder.
You know what’s actually a f*cking horrible idea if I’m having a particularly bad day with my body image? Getting naked and laying in the bathtub, where there’s nothing much to look at except my aforementioned naked body. I’ll pass.
7. After that scene in 13 Reasons Why…
…people who have self-harming tendencies currently or have in the past may feel triggered simply by being in the same setting that Hannah Baker was when she ended her life — even if they personally got in the bath to try and cheer themselves up.
8. “Treat yo’self” is a great motto to live by — usually.
Unless you’re trying to literally treat yourself (like, your mental illness) with a hot bath and a ~*relaxing atmosphere*~. You need medical attention, and you’re not weak or lame for seeking it out. Stayin’ alive is cool.
9. A bath that’s hot enough to feel good will make you sweat.
I know that, personally, I can forget (or just sleep through) drinking enough water when I’m having a bad time with my depression. If you’re feeling fatigued or dizzy, a hot bath is definitely not on your to-do list. You need to drink some water, not soak in it.
10. Depression isn’t the same thing as sadness.
Lighting a candle and sinking into a hot bath can totally help you out if you’re feeling sad, and I know that people probably mean well when they say, “Just take some me-time! Go run a hot bath and light your favorite candle!” But, it isn’t the same thing. One is an actual chemical imbalance in my brain, and the other is an emotion — you can’t handle them the same way.