Depression, as most of us know, is a form of mental illness. More specifically, it is considered to be a mood disorder, and it is one that the majority of us have some familiarity with. By familiarity, I don’t necessarily mean experiencing it yourself, but perhaps you know of someone who has or has had it, which is more than likely in this current state of the world.
Despite many of us having a basic understanding of what depression is and what constitutes symptoms, I do wonder how many of us are living with it without any comprehension or realization that we ourselves are depressed. For some reason, I think it is easier to identify depression in others than it is to identify it in our own person, but I do think, for the latter option, most of us are very reluctant to first acknowledge we may have it, and, furthermore, are ashamed to ask for help.
Much of the stigma surrounding mental illness has diminished over the past decade or so, but there are still forms of it that make us feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about. Depression is one of these forms, as are Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder, from my own observations.
I think it is natural for us to want to deny having a mental illness because of how mental conditions have been stigmatized for a very long time, but depression does seem to be one none of us wishes to see in ourselves. There is absolutely nothing shameful or wrong about depression, or being depressed; if anything, the mental strength and clarity required to do a self-assessment and reach out for help is one of the bravest things anyone can do. Depression is serious, and it is nothing to joke about, so please check in with yourself and your loved ones as often as possible.
Photo by Gadiel Lazcano on Unsplash
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