Although the stigma surrounding mental illness in the United States may have decreased somewhat due to education about what causes depression and how to treat it, there's no doubt that it still exists. Many people who have depression or anxiety may feel that having it is something to be ashamed of.

But it's not.

Consider this. When someone says they have a chronic physical condition that is crippling, affecting their ability to function throughout their day-to-day lives, and something they require medication for, most people's natural response would not be to tell that person they should be able to manage it on their own, that they are exaggerating how bad their condition really is, or that someone else out there has a physical condition that is much worse, so they should stop complaining.

Yet many people with debilitating depression and anxiety are deterred from seeking help for themselves because they feel, or they are told that they should not be feeling this way.

The thing about depression is that most people who suffer from it may not have especially terrible lives, at least from an objective standpoint. People with depression can be successful college students, adults living in the suburbs, or anyone that would otherwise seem to have a great life. Most people with depression understand that there are people out there who have it worse than them, and if they could change the way they are feeling with a flip of a switch, they would.

The one thing many people with depression have in common is that they may appear perfectly fine. For a lot of people, admitting you have depression is making yourself vulnerable. Many people with mental illnesses are fully aware of the stigma surrounding these conditions, which is why it can be hard to open up to someone when you have one.

What people need to know is that mental disorders are not a sign of some moral failing or of a weak willed person. There is no one cause of depression. It is a complicated condition that can be caused by factors out of your control. For some people, it can be a biological problem with brain chemistry, which is not something you can exactly fix on your own.

Seeking help for depression, which can include therapy or going on medication, is not a sign that you are weak or subpar. In fact, it is a sign that you are a strong person who wants to get better.

It's not about how you should feel, but how you can feel.