User:Marina

Depression Rampant in Survivor Community

Suicide pacts increasing as thousands lose hope; public-spirited zombie groups offer free counseling

After nearly five years of quarantine, Malton survivors are coming to understand that not only is no permanent cure for zombification forthcoming, but that the government and outside organizations have truly abandoned them to their fate. Unsurprisingly, this traumatic realization is causing depression and delusions in thousands of survivors, and many of them have been gathering in Owsleybank to appeal to a higher power.

The movement's leaders pattern their actions on the famous zombie strike of 2005, but in contrast, the goals of this movement are unclear at best. Do they wish for a sort of rapture for all survivors, abandoning Malton to its zombified residents? Do they expect to be released into society, leaving other survivors behind? Do they believe that enough agitation on their part will prompt the government to finally destroy both survivor and zombie alike? Those who believe in a higher power refuse to answer, saying only that they leave Malton's fate in his hands. Many do not even believe in the mercy of this higher power, yet they gather, wondering what will happen next.

Some survivors have gone so far as to propose mass suicide, should appeals to this higher power not produce the (as yet unknown) desired effects. Although some scoff at this method, seeing death as only temporary in this environment, these survivors insist that they would resist the temptation to ever stand up again. It is unknown how many of those advocating mass suicide are zealots for the cause, wholeheartedly prepared for permanent death, and how many of them are simply being pressured into agreeing to jump to bolster the emotional appeal to the higher power. Many worry that the weakened mental state of many depressed survivors is a contributing factor to the proposed suicide pact, and urge survivors to treat their depression instead of throwing away their lives. After all, it's a well-documented fact that the survivor lifestyle is incredibly taxing, and even for the strongest survivors, the stress of day-to-day life in Malton is so punishing that, combined with the near total lack of Vitamin D (easily remedied by exposure to sunshine) depression is a natural, even an expected reaction.

Leading zombie groups such as the MOB, RRF, Minions of the Apocalypse, Feral Undead and No Escape have gathered in the area and are committed not only to helping to treat the depression of any new recruits, but also to providing those truly determined to follow through with their suicide pacts with a complimentary early execution of their plans. We provide trained postmortem-adjustment counselors, skilled in integrating former survivors into the zambah community, and our brothers and sisters excel in helping others find companionship, dinner and BARHAH.

Survivors of Malton, there's no reason to throw your life away. Cast it away instead, and join us in BARHAH!

The Survivor Depression Checklist

Do you exhibit signs of depression? If you answer yes to one or more of these questions, please seek treatment immediately. MOB counselors are waiting outside your safehouse to help change your life and bring you to BARHAH.

I feel unhappy all the time (yes/no)

I feel hopeless or powerless (yes/no)

I'm stuck passively waiting for a higher power to change my life (yes/no)

I just can't take the idea of searching for another round of ammo or sharpening my katana again (yes/no)

I don't feel the camaraderie with my friends that I used to (yes/no)

I feel like I just can't win (yes/no)

I feel crushingly lonely (yes/no)

I don't have the motivation even to put up barricades anymore (yes/no)

I avoid duties like checking the revive points and healing others (yes/no)

I don't even feel satisfied by making a perfect headshot (yes/no)

I feel tired all the time (yes/no)

I spend my time with fruitless busywork like smashing bottles (yes/no)

I can't take yet another can of beans (yes/no)

I worry about what the repeated revives are doing to my system (yes/no)

I have suicidal thoughts (yes/no)

No really, that ledge looks like my best friend (yes/no)

Or I could just walk right into the horde (yes/no)

I have a plan for harming myself (yes/no)

I'm being influenced by my friends' suicidal talk (yes/no)

I would be happier if it was all over (yes/no)

This checklist is intended only for the purpose of convincing you to seek comfort in the welcoming arms of the MOB, and is not designed to provide a diagnosis or treatment.

The Serenity Prayer, Malton Edition

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to jump off that ledge; and the wisdom to find BARHAH!

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Current characters:

• Linyeve was once a leasing agent, but now she is an agent of BARHAH and strikes with the MOB. She's particularly interested in high-density housing units.

Past characters:

• Marina is usually a member of the RRF Grey Guard, but given a whim and a combat reviver, might spend some time as a librarian in Quartly. Formerly a scout and happy tenant of the Spring Building, she took to life in Blackmore for a while, but now mostly just naps.
• Ginevra, a homemaker whose stash of Valium has proved very useful in her zombie apocalypse experience.
• Melody Moonchild, an eternally optimistic hippie healer. Her syrupy-sweet profile got her thrown onto a RRF trenchcoaters list, of which I was inordinately proud.
• Laura Lobelia, who, with the introduction of radios, was intended as a death cultist using the new medium to spread helpful tips for zombie/human coexistence. But, well, I got bored.

	Bra!nz Liberation Front
	This user is Commander of the BLF BARHAH!

	TSoE Reader
	This user reads Techercizer's Sequence of Events