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Why can't my parents understand that I am not choosing to be depressed?

Profile: chanelsdaisy
chanelsdaisy on Jun 22, 2015
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parents never understand anything. They just yell at us because they think they understand us but they do not. Parents are just different, they can't imagine how it is to live in our skin.
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Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Jun 1, 2015
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My dad himself has never been depressed. he has no idea what it feels like. he thinks that i'm 'just a little bit sad' and 'lazy' and ''without plans for the future'. that's not what's going on, i know that, i'm trying to tell him, but he doesn't understand. he compares my depression to his own low periods where 'taking a walk' or 'sleeping it out' does factually help and solve the problem mostly. i don't blame him for it, but it is annoying. he's just never experienced it before, i don't want him to experience it, so it's better this way. i'm going to get through this, and it's only gonna make me stronger.
Profile: PeacefulThoughts
PeacefulThoughts on Mar 15, 2015
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People often think that depression is a choice. They think it's like a switch, where you can just flip it and suddenly be happy again. It's very hard to get out of that mindset at times. Just educate them further on what depression is.
Profile: Eliz
Eliz on Apr 1, 2015
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Depression is something that almost any person can say that they have. As a parent, they may just bypass it as "drama" or "over reacting." Depression is sometimes hard to depict from these things, especially if you're the one raising a child. It's difficult to accept that your own son or daughter is experiencing this degree of adversity. Either of these things can result in neglect to realize the issue, thus making it increasingly challenging to get help.
Profile: KatHellsing
KatHellsing on Aug 10, 2015
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Because they don't know how depression works. People can't "snap out" of depression like some people think. If telling them yourself doesn't work, then ask someone else to explain to them how depression works. Preferably someone older, like an adult, because it might have a higher chance of them believing. If you can't do that, then sit down with them and explain to them how it is. If they've never been depressed before, then it might take longer.
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Sep 29, 2015
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They want to believe that your there happy child that they love. They don't understand why you feel the way you do.
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Apr 24, 2017
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They did not grow up in a generation where people were particularly aware of mental health issues. They were not educated about them in schools, and for people that know nothing about depression, and those who have not gone through something like it themselves, it can be very difficult to provide empathy.
Profile: ShiiraahShinigami
ShiiraahShinigami on Jun 30, 2015
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I think it is a case of some people not really having a good understanding of the illness. They probably grew up in a time when things like depression were not as well known as it is now. There wasnt as much exposure on the mental illness issues, therefore this particular illness was thought of as a less serious issue when compared to physical injuries.
Profile: Clouder
Clouder on Jul 24, 2015
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They might simply be ignorant about depression. Our understanding of depression has changed a lot with the advent of fMRI and we are still learning about how different medications affect the brain. The old notion that you can just snap out of it simply isn't true of depression, but your parents might not know the difference between depression and merely being in a bad mood. It might also be the case that your parents are in denial. This can happen because your parents care about you so much that they don't want to face up to the scary possibility that you suffer from depression. Alternately, they might blame themselves for your depression and therefore resist the idea that you're depressed. Keep reaching out . If your parents don't get it, find someone who does.
Profile: 5ense
5ense on Feb 26, 2015
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A lot of people don't understand a lot of things. Why? It is difficult to understand depression or any mental illness when people have not studied or experienced it themselves. Your parents don't know what is going on in your head, all they know is what is going on on the outside.
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