How to deal with stigma? What if I will be judged for having depression?

Just know that if you've been diagnosed with depression or any mental illness, don't be ashamed. You are not alone and there is plenty of support around you. Never forget that you're worth everything.

There are always going to be some people who are ignorant. But by being open about depression, you are changing the stigma. I've found that being open about my depression has made people comfortable around the idea of depression.

First understand the statistics for depression, more people than you think suffer from depression, most people will experience it at one point or another in their lives, the stigma from the last decades is not as common today, people are more interested in their mental well being, so you should not feel afraid about being judged, think of all the people that do have depression and you would never thought they did.

Don't let the thought of stigma stop you from receiving help for depression. Treatment can provide relief by decreasing symptoms of depression. It can be difficult to seek help because of the stigma behind depression and how others may react. Reaching out to people you trust such as friends, family, or spiritual support can help you gain self esteem about depression. These relationships are important in gaining self esteem and reducing symptoms of depression. Don't let the stigma create shame within yourself and stop you from receiving treatment and feeling relief. You are not depression, you have depression. Speaking out about your experience with depression may help someone else struggling with the same thoughts of stigma.

you shouldnt let that bother you because it is an oppinion of someone elts and if they are judging you out loud then they are the ones that need to get help because they are most likely suffering from depression also

dealing with social stigma is rather hard ...depression as itself weighs down the person and disapproval makes it harder . people have a lot to say . its the best to ignore those who look down upon . people wanting the best for you and who care for you will come forward , trust them and enjoy life with them . the others should know better than to judge a person when the person is going through something that they have no idea of .

Awareness of mental illness and particularly depression have greatly increased over the years, but the fear of stigma and judgment are very real. The best way to deal with stigma is to meet it head on--become an advocate for yourself. Educate someone about what they don't understand about depression, and it will go far.

Remember that the stigma is not your fault. How people react to you and your mental health doesn't make you any less of a person.

Stigma about mental illness is a pervasive problem in our society, even if we've slowly been evolving beyond that. Try reaching out about your depression to people who you trust, who you know will be able to offer support and nonjudgmental kindness. As for others judging you for symptoms of your depression -- the listlessness, lack of motivation, lack of productivity, sadness -- try to nudge them in the direction of educative resources so that they understand more about how to be supportive of people with depression. 7cups has a lot of great guides to just that!

The people who truly care about will surely understand you and the problem you are facing.Those who do not,why should you care about them?