The thing people need to realize about depression is that this is not something that can be easily gotten rid of and it can be caused by so many different things depending on the person. Not everyone needs medication but that doesn’t mean there aren’t cases where someone does and cases where someone just needs more Vitamin D.
What we need to keep in mind is that this is a different disease for everyone. Yes, it’s an illness. It’s not a feeling, it’s not a myth and it’s not an excuse that people make up. It’s a serious problem that people don’t take seriously.
Depression is this weight on your shoulders, it clouds your mind and makes you listen to all your negative thoughts. It makes it easier to find a reason not to do anything than a reason to do anything. Depression makes it harder to get out of bed and wipes you out by lunch. You begin to see everything wrong with you and can’t seem to find a positive light about anything. You stop finding joy in your favorite activities, it feels like work to even think about your passions. All the little things that always make you happy and excited for the day seem dull and pointless. Everything feels pointless and being around people exhausts you.
But everyone experiences depression differently and those are just some common experiences. The thing you have to keep in mind is that some people don’t even know they’re depressed. These people are active but depressed, so they may be very academic and stay on top of their work, or they may be very extroverted people.
The point is that they would be the least likely person you’d suspect of having depression, so much so that they don’t even realize they have depression. Since there is such a stereotype and stigma about depression, people you’d never suspect can be the most depressed of all, because they don’t realize themselves, so they never receive help through counseling and medication.
We have to keep in mind that depression is not just for introverts and it’s not just a feeling. Depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain, that can be caused by different major and minor events alike. It could last a few tough months or the rest of your life, depression could be cured through heavy medication or just a new diet and some sun.
But depression shouldn’t have a stigma because like any other illness, it can’t be helped and it can’t just go away. It’s something that you have to really work on and be aware that it’s not always going to be so hard. There’s always someone who will stand by you and will understand your struggles.
