Rimetime Depression

or The Glooms

Rimetime depression– commonly referred to as the glooms– is an aggressively advancing depressive disease occurring during the Rimes, which most often causes the victim to commit suicide before the end of the Rimes if not properly treated.

Causes

The glooms makes its appearance during the Rimes– when the Doom is out and the Light is dim– but will sometimes appear late in the Winter if the victim enters their doom-shelter too soon or doesn't have proper entertainment and support while inside.

Symptoms

A victim of the glooms will begin with experiencing photophobia resulting in them confining themselves to the darkest corner they can find. While this occurs, they also become less active in games, talk less during conversations, and eventually the victim will excuse themselves from such group events altogether, preferring to take their meals alone in their corners.

These two symptoms will increase in severity over the course of the next few months before the final symptom– suicidal thoughts– presents. Once these begin, the victim will likely edge closer to the shelter doors, and eventually they will throw themselves out into the Rimes; if this method proves impossible, they will find other means. Victims at this point will not give up attempting to end their lives until they are treated.

Treatment

The only true cure for the glooms is lengthy exposure to the Light, but– as such is nigh impossible during the Rimes without risk of death– the glooms can be prevented from advancing farther by keeping a soft light on the victim, giving them sweet things to eat and warm things to drink, tucking them in with a blanket, and generally showing them lots of affection. If caught late, when the victim has begun suicide attempts, it is best to restrain them in as comfortable a manner as possible and remove dangerous objects from their vicinity, while showing them as much affection as possible.

Prognosis

The glooms is not a difficult disease to treat, and most often it is caught early and treated with ease due to families bunking in the same shelter. However, those who get caught without family and shelter in a common shelter, and with the introduction of larger town-shelters, more cases of the glooms are going unnoticed and untreated until the doors to the shelter are flung open and a line of victims walk out into the pelting rimestones.

Sequela

If caught and quickly treated, one afflicted by the glooms can have no lasting effects, though the longer it remains untreated, the more serious the damage to the victim's psyche; the remnants of the glooms can range from a mild fear of darkness to an unwillingness to leave the company of others to whatever side effects they may have brought on themselves from their suicide attempts. If left entirely untreated, the glooms will end in the victim killing themselves (attempting multiple times, if necessary), most commonly by throwing themselves out of their shelter into the harsh cold of the Rimes.

Prevention

The best prevention to the glooms is to enter the shelter only when absolutely necessary, shelter with friends and family, and force oneself to participate in social events during shelter-season, even if it doesn't seem pleasant at the moment. As a secondary prevention, staying extra warm and eating pleasing foods are both good.

Epidemiology

Though the glooms isn't contagious in the physical sense, when one person refuses to participate in games and such, then others also feel more negative, and they begin to refuse as well. This can cause a domino effect which will eventually end in the death of most, if not all of those residing in the shelter.

Type

Mental

Origin

Natural

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Uncommon