Depression is real, it causes us to be isolated, lost and alienated. It's one of the largest groups of mental disorders. in terms of people suffering from it.
Big money is spent on medications and therapies.
Unfortunately we daily loose people to suicide due to it.
Jobs, friends and families suffer from the side effects.
Yet, little is publicized, little mention is made out side of the support communities or our own circles. Because it's mostly internalized and there aren't many outward signs, and we who suffer from it, go unnoticed or if it is noticed the standard uniformed reply from out side is..
"Oh everybody gets depressed snap out of it." or "You're just feeling down, it'll pass."
I HATE those replies and others like them...it's unconcerned condescending and patronizing.
Depression is a disease/disorder, a chemical imbalance, it's chronic and debilitating.
What it's not is "Being depressed" which is a momentary passing reaction to an external event.. This can lead to depression but, they are not exactly the same.
Depression because it is so often unnoticed, misunderstood, or even talked about is not the stuff of the "Oprah" set. Nor is it as talked about as Downs Syndrome, Bulimia (remember that one).. alcoholism, drug abuse, and my all time favorite, the darling of the talk show circuit Bi-Polar Disorder....IMO one of the most misdiagnosed of all mental health issues..
Please don't get me wrong. Those are all serious life altering life taking disorders; but from my experience (former community based social work) those tend not to be as prevalent as Depression and Schizophrenia .Media doesn't help either.. How often does a depression sufferer appear on the talk shows except a celebrity? Every time there's a shooting or other big news item involving a schizophrenic (or some one at the end of their emotional limits) it's rolled out for the world to see and sit in judgment over. Those things aren't the "norm" with in that population nor in the depressed population.
Yet the media drags it out. The talk shows have their day and not much if anything is done to help. No public education campaigns etc.
Mental illnesses, aren't well understood. Mental health is relatively a new kid on the block in terms of knowledge and treatment..
People doubt it, they fear it and shun it it...and it seems they don't care.
Meanwhile we go through our lives with the ups and downs and the pain.... I'm glad we have each other for support and understanding...
End of rant.
Open to discussion and feed back as long as it's civil.
Very well said. I myself have been thinking lately, and how upset it makes me, that there has been little progress with mental illness...research, knowledge, treatment, public awareness. It definitely doesn’t get the funding as other serious diseases, and like you said, so many suffer and die from mental illness. I too hate that it is still a stigma. I myself find it hard to open up and be honest with people in my life with what I go through. It saddens me to think of how many of us suffer and for so long. I know mental illness is so complex and varies with each person, but there has to be something better out there for us, something untapped and undiscovered.
I enjoyed your rant...well put. I’ve given up telling people I suffer from depression.All my life I’ve been put down because if I mention it I get “here’s miserable face again”. I have just been reading yesterday the Scottish government has cut back mental health treatment in the last few years by 47 million....shocking we mean so little.
Yes, I agree with everything you had said. It's sad alright cause in my country, we can't be very open about depression. I can't be open about depression to people but only to my family and a close circuit of trusted friends. Because people will judge. They will talk behind my back.
They don't give out free medicines or free counseling therapies always. If you can't afford it. You just got to find a way to cope, though it's hard.
Yeah, they just keep telling me that shit that I am only depressed. What do they know. They don;'t know anything. Some people i know never even tried learning that it's not just a simple blues that will go away. It's not as simple as that.
I wish people are very much aware and it would be discussed to the public more.
I think.there should be a test to determine whether or not the person is low on dopamine or serotonin instead of throwing serotonin based SSRI drugs at depressed people including kids wily nily
Too much Serotonin is a downer btw and too much dopamine is what fuels a bipolar high
Excellent "rant" my friend! If you get the urge to rant at least bring out all the big guns , like you did and GO for it ! You are correct with your media based top mental health problems. The ones that are mentioned left right and centre are from people who have been recently diagnosed. Rarely do we read about anybody who has had to deal with depression for 75% of their life without much productive help and only in recent times, can we begin to see a change in that.
Wishing you and your nearest and dearest a very happy New Year. 🐿💕
Your rant is very true. I have found if you even mention "I'm feeling depressed " you are mostly meet with judgement. Comments like , that's just life, cheer up, look at everything you have, smile - things aren't that bad.
Would these judgemental people berate someone with diabetes, MS, or other illnesses. I posted my rant about the mental health advocacy months back on this forum. Even trying to find help is a monumental challenge.
For me, I dont feel much headway has been made for removing the stigma regarding mental illness in society. Thank you for posting.
Exactly!!! Depression can be so debilitating,it can be long lasting and very serious. I know for myself it was hard to get help as first of all I was ashamed , believeing it was something I could control,and I just couldn't, and then made worse by being judged or not taken seriously by doctors so I hid it for the most part. It was the worst time of my life,and I never want to go through that again. It's a minor miracle I'm better , although i still have my moments and I will always be prone to it so i must keep an eye on myself,, unfortunately not everyone understands this .It's good to know other people really do understand the affects this condition can have on a person. I hope and pray more can be done to help people heal and get more immediate help. Thankyou for your post 🤗☺️
Thank you!. Reaching out to others and understanding are ways'to help others and ourselves
Depression can be primary meaning biochemical
Some technically label
This as a mental
Illness which in my mind is like talking to a wheelchair person about their disability
It is and then we cope and adjust with people who dint see us with the label a big argument with me
Biochemistry can be helped and of course sleep and good friends if u cN find them and right nutrition
However add to the buichestry which of course is totally real and the pain and suffering and trauma
Common knowledge of course but most of us know and respect depression
Some clinicians do
Some make it worse like some know it all friends just snap out of it is like
Just lose a 100
Pounds or just get over glaucoma
It’s a medical issue not a character flaw
So tired of ignorant people
Just get over yur heart attack or stroke
Get real people People that are depressed don’t chose to be
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Help advice needed for long term sufferer of depression/anxiety/dark thoughts 
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