Most of the times, when someone says "I have depression," many stereotypes come to one's mind. And when you're still an outgoing person, many people won't take it very seriously.
When most people hear the word depression, they think of someone who doesn't speak to anyone or someone who is constantly crying or whatever else. That's not always the case.
Being an outgoing person, no one has ever really even assumed that I could be dealing with depression, but I have since I was extremely young.
My whole life, I have portrayed someone who is the "life of the party." I'm constantly cracking jokes or doing stupid things to make others laugh, so from the outside, it's hard for others to imagine that I could possibly have a mental illness. But I do.
Here's what depression is really like for me:
The tiniest of things can set off my sadness. One little thing can happen, and while most people would just brush it off, my depression tells me to make it a huge thing. I'll sit in my room, cry, and obsess over it when I should just let it go.
I get sad for no reason. I can have an absolutely amazing day, but when I get home, my mind can wander off and I'll become so sad or angry over nothing at all.
It's not something I can control. Anyone who suffers from depression, or really any mental illness, can tell you that it is so unbelievably frustrating. I sit there knowing that I have no reason to be upset, but there's nothing I can do about it.
Because I am such an outgoing person, most of the time my sadness isn't taken seriously. I have learned to wear a mask extremely well throughout my life, so a lot of the time when I actually reveal how I feel, people assume I'm just being "too emotional" or that I should just "let it go." Others don't always understand that this is MUCH easier said than done.
Just because someone seems as though they have a "perfect life" or that they're always so happy, doesn't mean that is true. Having depression doesn't mean you're always crying or sad or "emo" or anything else. People with depression are still people, and their sadness should always be taken as serious as anyone else's.
Yes, I am an outgoing and loud and talkative person. And yes, I also have depression.
