How Do People See a Depressed Person

Depression is not so uncommon term. All of us have heard of it, some of us have suffered from it, and some others are suffering from it right now.

There are a lot of reasons why depression is so common these days, which ranges from the pressures that we suffer in this modern world to the food we eat. Also, advancement in the field of medicine has lead to a better diagnosis; hence we can see an increase in number of cases.

% of those suffering from depression don't even go to see a doctor. 80%! Do you know what this statistic means? It means that a huge deal of people suffer in silence. Which is just awful and should not happen. But you can't blame depressed people for not being open about their condition. Why you ask? Because our society sucks! Okay, okay. I won't generalize and won't exaggerate but you can't help but agree that not a lot of people around us are supportive.

People don't like to admit that they're depressed because they fear of being judged and being "labelled" as depressed. And why is that? Because our society sees depressed people differently.

What do people think about depressed people?

A lot of people don't even consider depression as an illness. They think that it's just sadness, and that people can easily get over it if they try to smile, and try to be happy. But for someone who is depressed, it's a lot more difficult than it sounds. If they could just do that, they would. Who likes to feel like shit about themselves? And if they could, depression wouldn't be recognized as a mental illness.

The second thing is, people think that those who are depressed are "weak". In reality, depression has nothing to do with whether you are strong or weak. It has no boundaries. It can happen to strongest of the strongest. Depression originates when some of your concerns starts to impact you negatively; which can happen to anyone. Depression can occur in the most mentally strong, ambitious and confident person out there. It has no relationship with age, gender or your personality. Mental strength and mental health are two entirely different things. In fact, if you're living with depression, chances are that you're mentally stronger than others.

Thirdly, depressed people are seen as an attention seeker. When a person is open about his condition people think that person is being melodramatic and only needs attention, and that they need to get over themselves. Such a ridiculous thing to say to someone who is suffering from depression. I'm not talking about those who fake but real depression causes irritability. What else do you expect from someone who is totally lost? Someone who can't figure out what to do to ease the pain they are going through? If we are free to express our happiness, why can't we express our sadness with the same freedom? And since when expressing your feelings became a taboo?

This is the reason why people don't speak up about their condition because they know they won't get any help and at the end of the day, they will be judged and tagged as someone who is "weak".

What it feels like to be depressed?

Now let's see in brief what depression actually "feels" like, in contrast of what other people think.

.....and no, depression is NOT only these 4 feelings. Different people will describe their feelings differently. These are the "feelings", NOT the symptoms. Some people also feel "numbness"; a total lack of feelings. They don't feel sad about the sad things and don't get that happy feeling on getting a good news. Every feeling is the same.....numb. They lose their interest and motivation in life. A lot of people also suffer from mood-swings.

And what do depressed people think? Everything negative! They can't quit thinking about it. They try to sleep at night hoping that they will forget about their thoughts in the morning, but then the same thing pops up in their mind as soon as they wake up. And no...it's not easy to get over it. Because it's depression, not just "sadness".

Depression is not as easy as it seems. And it's definitely not "another blue day". Depression is much more than what people think. It is an issue of concern because it's actually quite common than you think and the statistics are only increasing. Maybe your sibling is suffering from it right now and you just keep on dismissing the idea by thinking that she's just sad.

In the coming few posts I'll be discussing depression a bit more. I hope you find it useful. My goal is to help spread awareness about depression. Share your experience with all of us. Your suggestions and requests are welcomed. Leave your message on the comment section or in the "write to me" section on the right hand side.

© Quirky Writes 2016