With the recent celebrity suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, mental health is on the minds of many of us, which means that many of us are looking for solutions to the problems of depression and suicide. One solution that pops up a lot is that gratitude can effectively combat depression and prevent suicide. I’ve heard this in multiple places, and the link between gratitude and depression is brought up frequently. I don’t think this is wholly wrong; however, I also don’t think it’s wholly right. That gratitude cures depression only tells part of the truth, and that gap can be dangerous for some in the depths of depression.

Lately, after everyone has gone to bed and it’s just me and my cat Franny, I’ve been putting on soundtracks of thunderstorms and playing them in the background while reading online. It’s amazing how calming it is for me. I’ve always loved gray rainy days—I just never knew that I would like fake gray rainy days almost as much. But it got me thinking about why I love rain clouds and thunderstorms so much. It’s hard for me to put a finger on and definitively answer, but the best I can figure, it has to do with my depression.