How is depression viewed by society and the world around us?

Being open about depression has been viewed as a weakness or excuse. It is hard for people who haven't experienced it themselves to understand how debilitating it can be.

Depression is viewed as a weak spot. What I've decided to do, is hide it. Fake a smile, and move on.

My father didn't believe that depression or other mental health issues were a thing. To him, people were either sane or insane. My mother just desperately wished that I, who seldom lied to her, was simply acting out and making excuses not to do things out of laziness. Some friends, in their confusion, and momentary amnesia over the fact that I was more of a loner than anything, thought that it might be a cry for attention. But the world is changing, slowly. More and more people are willing to admit they are directly affected nowadays, rather than say, just seeing it as a possibly 'made up' inconvenience. More people are willing to ask and answer questions about depression. With continued patience, willingness to listen and understand, I've seen how it can get better.

Sadly, depression is very stigmatized in society today. While it is getting better about being less judgmental, there will always be people who reject the reality and struggle of depression.

I think, unfortunately, depression is often viewed as weakness by society - despite that fact that some studies that think that almost half the population will suffer some kind of mental illness during their lifetime and the WHO stating that depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. I personally think that heavy social expectations (especially for men) as well as the ingrained fear of failure and vulnerability make depression a frightening idea for many suffers and the community.

According to my personal experience from a developing country where mental health has not been paid enough attention. Depression, therefore, is overlooked. Depression sufferers, like myself 4 years ago, did not get enough help from the society as well as the world around me. The reason being is that the population is not educated about mental health and its effect on sufferers and how to support them when they need it. I actively seeked help from professional help yet the option for counseling and therapy was limited. In short, the society where I was, did not pay much attention on depression in particular and mental health in general. They tend to over look the impact of those illness compare to other physical illness.

Depression is viewed in many ways. Some say there is no such thing and we just want attention, but some who have walked in the shoes of depression understand the struggle and tough times of feeling like you are falling into a never ending pit of darkness. Depression is very hard to get through but gladly there is amazing listeners on 7 cups of tea that will help you through it. :)

Where I live depression is more and more accepted as an actual illness and not something you make up when you are too tired to go to work or school. It is incredibly hard to live with depression and sometimes being with people who, in their self-thought superiority, have the stomach to insist that you ARE in fact fine. While society is evolving into a complex stucture to fit a plethora of different humans there are people who will deny others' right to be sick.

I have never been openly be able to say im depressed, however Its very common for people to say theyve got a cold or a cough. Theres been times where ive had to suffer in silence, simply because I couldnt reach out to anybody. So I think its viewed as something negative, and it shows weakness.

Depression can be viewed as an over dramatization, an overstatement, a thing only "sad people go through", when reality, it is not a small thing and anyone can go through it.