Liberating Facts about Depression

I went through a good portion of my adolescent years up until very recently believing that I should have to validate why I might be feeling what I would call depressed (as opposed to its lesser extent, sad). People would often tell me: ?You have a family that loves you, friends that care about you, and a bright future ahead. You have a good life. What is there for you to be depressed about?? as well as: ?Why are you depressed? Don?t you know that people have it worse off than you??

These statements would haunt me as I tried to explain to them (as well as myself) just why I was feeling this way. And while I could argue that losing everybody ? and I mean everybody ? on my mother?s side of the family within a short span of time is reason enough to feel depressed, I felt that as time went by, this reason could no longer stand as a justification for my depression.

Just very recently, however, I came across something that would change the way I looked at life: ?Very often a combination of genetic, psychological and environmental factors is involved in the onset of clinical depression. At times, however, depression occurs for no apparent reason" (National Institute of Mental Health, 2000). How liberating it was for me to read this statement. All I could think was how relieved I was to finally be told that I didn?t need a reason to validate the way I felt for so long.

Fact #1: You do NOT need a valid ?reason? to be depressed.

The NIMH further states that such depression ?is not a passing mood, a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed away. Clinically depressed people cannot ?pull themselves together? and get better? (NIH Publication No. 00-4266).

Too few people understand the above statement. One who has never experienced depression for no apparent reason could not possibly understand; they often argue that they were depressed at one point, too, and got better, so by this logic, the same must be true for all people. The problem is, this is just not true. While I do not know where the original source is, I have often come across the analogy: ?Having depression is like having a broken car.? Just because your car is running fine and dandy, that does not mean mine is, too. It?s like literally saying, ?Well, my car?s running perfectly, so that must mean yours is, too.? This is like a slap to someone?s face. To tell someone to just ?get over it? or argue ?I got through it, so you should be able to as well? is unbelievably unsympathetic. Likewise, the words: ?Well, I?m going through/gone through much more than you are/have. You wanna talk about depression? I?ll tell you about depression? are simply unacceptable.

Fact #2: Everybody processes situations and emotions differently.

Surprise! The human mind is unbelievably complex. While we may all share similar primary emotions (happy, sad, surprised, & angry), not all people experience these emotions in the same way ? some people feel very deeply, and for longer durations, while others don?t (EQA, 2009). The same thing can be said of situations, for your mind is your own which means it shouldn't be surprising that you might handle a situation differently than others. (For example, when a friend has experienced loss ? such as a close friend or family member ? I am terrible at extending my hand in comfort due to my experience of loss in the past. It has left me so unbelievably hurt that even the mention of the topic of death leaves me stone cold and silent. It is something I still, to this very day, have a hard time coping with.)

So while it might be easy for you to get over situations easily, you have to understand it might not be that way for somebody else.

Fact #3: If you are, in fact, depressed, you CAN get better ? with the right help.

According to the NIMH, ?Depression can be successfully treated by a mental health professional or certain health care providers. With the right treatment, 80 percent of those who seek help get better" (NIH Publication No. 00-4266). This number is staggering. In fact, the only reason why it isn?t higher is because oftentimes people give up on seeking for the right treatment much too soon ? they may lose hope after one method, or maybe a few methods, happen to fail. But the fact is, treating depression goes beyond just taking anti-depressants (which do work for many, but not for all) ? the NIMH states: "Certain types of psychotherapy, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy, can help resolve psychological or interpersonal problems that contribute to, or result from, the illness? (NIH Publication No. 00-4266). If depression is severe enough, often the best route is to combine these two options of treatment: medication as well as psychotherapy. And even if these methods don?t work, there are many more that can make a difference ? just don?t give up!

Sources/Read more on:

Depressionhttp://www.alvincollege.edu/CurrentStudents/PDFs/MentalHealth/NIMHstudents.pdf

Primary Emotionshttp://www.pearsonhighered.com/assets/hip/us/hip_us_pearsonhighered/samplechapter/0135022991.pdf

Cognitive Behavioral Therapyhttp://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=About_Treatments_and_Supports&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=7952