Given the constant disagreement of whether or not my generation is a decent one, I feel that I should bring this up. Has anyone else noticed the sudden emergence of all these personal issues and mental illnesses millennials have had as of late? Perhaps these problems have always been here and the only reason I feel overwhelmed is because they are all coming into the light all at once. Yet, I feel like we are reaching a point where we need to sum everything we feel into two (and only two) conditions. Apparently, everyone I know is either depressed or suffering from anxiety.
As a student with the fortune of meeting new people every day, it seems that all of a sudden everyone has/had depression and/or anxiety. I am not trying to degrade those who have it, because I know from personal experience that it is not fun at all. Having once gone through depression myself, I understand what it is like and I find it somewhat offensive that almost every other person I meet has depression. Maybe some do and maybe some don't, but I don't believe it should be used as an excuse when you're sad or upset. It also shouldn't be used as an excuse for when you've been upset for a short amount of time. There is a difference between being upset about something that causes you to be sad or angry and actual depression. Being upset or angry is a natural human response to situations we don't agree with or want to change.
Depression is a non-stop feeling of helplessness, loneliness and even worthlessness. It's that horrid feeling that you think you can't change and it's just never-ending. Sometimes an outside event doesn't cause it. Like my depression, it was me constantly telling myself I was worthless and no one would ever want to be with me. This led to me believing everyone would be better off without me and that my very existence was a waste of space. Frankly, after near five years, I'm still trying to overcome it and it's not easy. Being upset goes away overtime while being depressed does not. It's a battle that people fight for years and can be dangerous if not handled properly.
Another thing to remember is that it all depends on the situation(s) for people being upset versus being depressed. People who have suffered through family issues, constant misfortunes, or anything life altering could suffer depression because it's not as easy as "getting over it." However, having a few bad days in a row or turning everything into "the worst day of your life" does not equal depression. Depression is more than just being sad all the time or having a bad day, week or even month. Again, I am not degrading those who have it, but for the many people who use it as an excuse to be unhappy - they need to take a step back and reanalyze the situation.
Another thing I've noticed is that everyone seems to have anxiety all of a sudden. Whenever I ask people why they don't go out much, the answer always seems to be "I have anxiety, so I don't talk to people.” All throughout high school, the reason I ended up being the person giving the presentation was because every other person in my group happened to all have anxiety to the point they couldn't talk to people. Guys, this needs to stop.
I know people who have true anxiety problems and they do everything they can to make ti through the day, but being nervous or shy does not qualify as having anxiety. It is not an excuse to not talk in front of the class or to not make friends if you're just a naturally shy person. I am very shy and awkward when meeting new people and I get nervous when talking to them, but it's not anxiety, it's a natural human response to meeting people I know nothing about. It's no different from going on stage to perform or presenting a speech to the class. However, don't take an actual life changing problem and turn it into an excuse to not be around people.
The reason I decided to bring this up was because I am tired of hearing how apparently everyone I meet has depression and/or anxiety. In reality, they completely mislabeled a natural response to certain situations. For those truly suffering through this, please don't be afraid to reach out to people to help you and please don't be afraid to talk about it with those you trust. As for those who use it as an excuse for their behavior, please stop and respect those trying to get through life one day at a time.
