Having a broken arm sucks.
It’s painful, it keeps you from doing things you want to do, it limits your ability to accomplish things.
But at least people understand it.
Nobody tells someone with a broken arm to just push through it. Or “fake it till you make it”. Or that it’s all in your head. Or that you’re just being lazy. Or that you don’t want to get better. Or “I’ve had a broken arm at some point in my life, too.”
People don’t understand how similar having depression and having a broken arm are.
It’s painful.
It’s not a choice.
It’s a real condition.
It limits your capacity to do work.
It keeps you from doing things you enjoy.
Things can be done that can help fix it.
I’m the short term (Medication/Casts)
And in the long term (Various treatments/a metal rod in the arm.)
Medicine can also make it hurt less, while not necessarily healing it. (Painkillers)
It can be caused by traumatic events.
You can’t completely control when it gets better.
“Just operate as if its not there” is terrible advice.
The point of this comparison is to tell you that the people around you telling you that you don’t have a problem are wrong. And that pretending it isn’t there is only going to hurt yourself further.
I’m not saying you won’t need to push yourself, physical therapy is important in rebuilding strength in your arm. But it’s important to do it in an environment that sets you up for success, not failure.
Good luck to everyone with their broken arms.