The official Marathon Des Sables website describes the event as “a foot race, open to runners and walkers, with several stages, free style, and with food self-sufficiency over a distance of about 250 km.”
Its official Wikipedia page calls it a “six-day, 251 km ultramarathon… approximately the distance of six regular marathons,” and says it has been called “the toughest foot race on earth.”
But for Mauro Prosperi, it was an absolute nightmare.
He began the race as normal on 10 April, 1994, covering 96 kilometers of ground, before a sandstorm sent him away from the race trail on 14 April. He was now lost in the middle of the Sahara desert, alone, facing limited supplies, uneven terrain, and temperatures as high as 46 ℃.
Over the next several days, he would continue to face those dangers, as well as worsening dehydration, hunger, and hopelessness. Mauro came upon a desert shrine in which to take shelter and tried to gain the attention of low-flying planes, but to no avail. After being missing for almost 4 days, he would attempt to end his life as he fell asleep that evening.
But when he awoke again the next morning, his confidence was renewed. He would continue to combat dehydration and starvation by hunting for desert wildlife like snakes, lizards, and insects – and once, he was fortunate enough to find an oasis.
After 10 days navigating the Sahara and wandering nearly 300 kilometers from the trail, Maruo Prosperi was rescued by a group of Tuaregs just over the Moroccan border in Algeria.
Imagine the relief that swept over his wife when he called her from the hospital. In effect, her husband was back from the dead!
This man is not the only one with a story of seemingly superhuman resilience – there are so many stories of people in seemingly hopeless situations making an incredible comeback from the depths of darkness. We are so much more powerful than we recognize. This idea is beautifully summed up in the phrase, “the indomitable human spirit.”
But to so many people struggling with depression, this kind of resilience seems like it could only exist in a story. It seems like it is only for other people and not for them.
Depression acts like a dark cloud blotting out the sun. Not only does it affect you in the here and now – dramatically – but it also impacts your ability to see the future in a hopeful way. The hopelessness Mauro Prosperi felt on day 4 of his disappearance is a very common symptom of depression.
Resilience is often promoted in mental health communities as a way of overcoming depression, but the disease itself has many symptoms that can keep sufferers from facing it head-on. Keep an eye out for these symptoms and safeguard your resilience against them:
1. Social isolation: Depression often causes people to withdraw from their family and friends, undermining a support system that could promote resilience.
2. Inactivity: Depressed individuals often feel listless and lack the motivation to move, or even leave their homes, which can further worsen hopelessness.
3. Distraction: Resilience often requires focus, which is difficult to maintain when one is experiencing depression.
4. Poor sleep: Sufferers of depression may sleep too much or too little. This can further upset their physical and mental well-being, making it even more difficult to picture the future hopefully.
5. Purposelessness: Depression often shuts down someone’s interests, so they spend less time engaging in activities they used to enjoy or find meaningful.
6. Negative thought patterns: The relationship between depression and one’s thought life is a complicated one, but the disease can easily be exacerbated by a cycle of negative thoughts (negative thought, worse depression, more negative thoughts, even worse depression, and so on).
7. Physical discomfort: Muscle aches, fatigue, digestive issues, and other physical symptoms can accompany depression and afflict the individual.
8. Substance abuse: Addiction is often set into motion as a coping mechanism for mental health disorders. Not only is addiction psychologically destructive, but most if not all addictive substances are physically harmful as well, weakening the foothold of resilience even more.
Remember: resilience is not about perfection. It is not about only thinking “sunshine and rainbows” all the time. It is simply the practice of getting up again. If we fall down 7 times, all that matters is that we get up 8.
If you are navigating depression, do not hesitate to reach out to a mental health professional. We are here to help you out of the desert!
Make today your masterpiece!
Florina
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