Sarah
Cupcake Wars is a great show. Now I know for some of you that may make you roll your eyes and prepare to click out of this post. But let me explain why I think it’s such a great show before you leave.
Cupcake Wars and my mental health
I’ve struggled a lot with my mental health for a few years now. My freshmen year of college was riddled with depressive mood swings and anxiety attacks. My second year was much better, but now I’m in my third year. Suddenly, my mental health problems came roaring back.
My mental health issues tend to come in waves. I start out super happy and healthy, slowly slide down into a deep, dark hole of depression, and then ride out of the hole back into general feeling fine-ness. Sometimes the peaks are really long. Sometimes they’re really short. I can’t tell if a depressive swing is going to last for a few weeks or a few days. The only thing I can do is wait it out.
During these low points, I tend to lose all motivation. Even things that usually bring me joy I can’t bring myself to do. So, I huddle in bed and watch a show. For some reason, the shows that make me feel the least terrible are terrible reality shows. I haven’t gotten to the point of the Kardashians YET, but I’ve turned to Cupcake Wars in recent weeks.
I’m not entirely sure why I feel compelled to watch eight hours straight of Cupcake Wars when I’m depressed, but that’s what I do. There’s something about judging other people on their ability to bake 1000 cupcakes in two hours that’s nice to my depressed brain, even though I could never accomplish such a feat.
So, is Cupcake Wars really a great show? Probably not. But does it make me feel something when it is almost impossible for me to feel? Surprisingly, yes.
