3 Very Important Things People Misunderstand About Depression

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Many people do not understand the meaning of the word “depression.” It is often used as adjective, i.e. “I was so depressed after watching that movie.” It is not the same as living in a state of pure depression. Living it makes you realize how the world around you does not quite understand, and sometimes that is all it takes to push a person who is depressed further into that state. Society needs to understand these few facts about living with depression in order to understand those of us who suffer every day.

1. Depression is not something that comes and goes. If you know someone who is diagnosed with depression, that person will ALWAYS carry that with him/her. Even on his/her best days, it is there. It is a constant struggle to not fall back into its path.

2. Just because someone has depression does not mean that the person does not care about the important things going on in your life. On many occasions I have missed out on positive things going on around me because people didn’t want to “rub it in” that they were happy. It just doesn’t work that way. Depression certainly isn’t happy, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be happy for someone. If you have something great happening, please share it with us.

3. And also, try to understand why we can’t always talk about it. Its hard to share out what we’re feeling sometimes because we don’t always know. Have you ever had one of those days where you just want to mope and cry but you can’t really figure out why? Sometimes its like that. Sometimes we know the exact reason we feel so awful, but talking about it won’t make it better.

Just don’t give up on us. We are trying so hard to make it through the rough patches, but sometimes we just need to know that our friends and family are there for us. It can really make or break a person’s day, week, month or even life.

Remember, if you or anyone you know is going through a dark time, there are always going to be outlets. Things WILL get better… it just takes some time.

National Suicide Hotline:
No matter what problems you are dealing with, we want to help you find a reason to keep living. By calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255) you’ll be connected to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area, anytime 24/7.