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Spc. Garcia Josefina
7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Sep 13, 2024
Suicide awareness
1 Degree of Separation, a new approach to depression and suicide awareness.
Comedy Show
FORT CAVAZOS - Smiles and laughter fill the auditorium at the People First Center and the crowd was eager for the show to begin on Sep. 13, 2024. They didn’t know what to expect after seeing the name of the guests and title of their show. Their banner read “1 Degree of Separation, A Funny Look at Depression and Suicide.”
Brian Bonar, the visionary behind “1 Degree of Separation,” lead a group of comedians who artfully blend laughter with poignant commentary. In their performances, humor becomes a vehicle for exploring an important social issue.
Their program has an optimistic method and approach. Bonar explains that from a scientific point of view laughter floods the brain with dopamine, the “happy hormone.”
“From a neuroscience perspective the brain is chemically altered and the whole audience is captivated by laughter,” Bonar explained. “As soon as you’re laughing it brings calm and safety,” said Bonar. “We chemically change your brain before we have a serious conversation.”
Bonar promotes positivity by incorporating laughter in the beginning of the show. He explains that it acts as a numbing agent towards the seriousness of the matter.
The main goal for this program is to have more people comfortable while discussing depression and suicide. The second portion of the comedy show is a discussion panel where the comedians share their personal experiences with depression.
Bonar explains that even while having a serious discussion, they keep the comedic aspect of it all. There is as much laughter on the discussion panel as there is during the comedy show, allowing the comedians to keep their essence.
Bonar went on to talk about how different groups of people have benefited from their approach. Not just people with depression, but also those who know someone that struggles with depression.
“That’s why the show is called 1 Degree of Separation,” said Bonar. “If you don’t struggle, you at least know someone; we’re all connected to it.”
The show’s mission statement is to raise awareness on the seriousness of depression and anxiety, and to reach as many people as possible in order to have a more significant impact.
Bonar believes that depression and suicide are stigmatized topics. 1 Degree of separation has found a way to raise awareness in a manner where it can become a normal conversation.
“It’s not just awareness, it’s not just to kill the stigma,” said Bonar. “I want people to leave with a skill and the ability to have a conversation.”
Bonar gave his own testimony about dealing with depression and the thoughts of suicide. That is until one day he came up with a different approach.
“One day I just came home, sat down and just started writing and didn’t stop until I came up with these five simple, all-encompassing questions,” explained Bonar.
The five questions that Bonar referred to were: What does your depression feel like? What do others do that makes it worse? What do others do that makes it better? What do you do that makes it worse? and What do you do that makes it better?
The questions are straightforward, yet they facilitate a deep understanding of their connection to depression.
“We’ve passed out over 30,000 of these cards. We’ve never added another question, these questions are super simple,” said Bonar. “They’re all encompassing.”
Bonar recommended everyone to go over these questions as a foundation for an open discussion with those around you struggling with depression. The team's goal is to continually focus on finding ways to get the show to more people in order to have a broader impact.
As Bonar envisions, the broader goal was to make these discussions a regular part of life, helping both individuals and communities to build resilience and understanding. Ultimately, “1 Degree of Separation” is not just about awareness, but about equipping people with the skills to have meaningful conversations about mental health.
| Date Taken: | 09.13.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.20.2024 16:31 |
| Story ID: | 481363 |
| Location: | FORT CAVAZOS, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 43 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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