Depression

I would like to take a minute to talk about depression. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression. The NIMH estimates that in the United States, 16 million adults had at least one major depressive episode in 2012. That's 6.9 percent of the population. Telling someone to 'get over' their depression won't work. Depression distorts your thinking. Your mind can literately play tricks on you. It makes you feel unwanted. Some suffering from depression are afraid to seek help because their mind makes them think that they are bothering people. If someone reaches out to you, please, don't belittle their situation. You never know what they are thinking. You can never be sure how much of a mental battle they actually faced when deciding weather or not to confide in you.

Another thing I've heard a lot is people saying that it will pass. That the depression is just situational or seasonal. That can be true in some cases, but not all. A lot of it is bio-chemical. Most bio-chemical depressions that are moderate to severe are best treated with a combination of medicine and psychotherapy. No amount of time passing is going to cure it. You actually have to be proactive and fight it. Even just situational depression can get very bad and should still be treated. Even if it is just temporary. I'll repeat: Depression (no matter what kind) distorts your thinking. It's best to seek help or if it's someone you know, reach out and let them know that you are concerned for them.

A scary fact about depression is that it can be experienced as anxiety and is in about 65 percent of cases. This is scary because it causes many people to get misdiagnosed. Most doctors will recommend you attend therapy before prescribing you any kind of medication to avoid this. However, a lot of people will believe that they aren't depressed and simply have high anxiety levels. Because of this, they won't seek help.

It is also good to keep in mind that depressed people might not look depressed. “Depression is a hidden illness," says Jeremy Coplan, MD, professor of psychiatry at SUNY Downstate in New York. People won't always be crying and constantly sad. A lot of depressed people are cheery and happy. Just look at Robin Williams, no one knew how depressed he really was.

Perhaps the scariest fact of all; over 50 percent of all people who die by suicide suffer from major depression. If one includes alcoholics who are depressed, this figure rises to over 75 percent. When someone commits suicide, personally, I don't see it as a selfish act. I see it as they lost their battle with depression. It is a disease and this is how it takes the lives of so many that we know and love. Telling someone who has lost someone to depression that they made that choice selfishly is hurtful and, in my opinion, wrong. They made that choice because their depression distorted their thinking. They committed that act because they were suffering and didn't want to suffer any longer and again, they aren't in a normal state of mind. I hate the term 'committing suicide.' I choose to refer to it as losing a battle.

Chances are you know someone who suffers from depression or you have been depressed, yourself. I, unfortunately, have experienced both. This is the case for a lot of people. This is why I chose to write this article. There has been a lot of backlash and a lot of horrible talk about "Why couldn't they just get help?" Sometimes, it's not that simple. "Why didn't anyone notice something was wrong?" Sometimes, it's not that simple. To the people who blame themselves for someone's lost battle, please don't. Please try to remember that in their right state of mind, they knew you cared. Remember that it is a disease and they lost a battle; a battle that unfortunately, you couldn't fight for them.

But on that note, if anyone ever turns to you or comes to you, please listen. If you've read my other articles you will know that I'm a firm believer that people need people. Sometimes there is nothing we can do. But if you notice something, don't be a bystander. You might be the only person that they come to. If they come to you and you feel that there is nothing you, personally, can do to help them, encourage them to go get help. I've called the cops on one of my best friends before because I was afraid he was going to try to harm himself. He may hate me for it for the rest of his life, but I can rest assured knowing that while he's hating me, he's still breathing.

I've suffered from depression. I've had suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The thought has crossed my mind that the world would be better if I wasn't in it. But I'm one of the lucky ones. I reached out for help and I had people reach back. I got the help I needed and I'm on medication. I still get sad. There are still bad days where I want to just quit, but I keep fighting. I have to keep fighting and I recognize that now. It took me a while to get to where I am now, but I'm finally starting to be happy again and I've figured out that I need to stay on this Earth not only for myself, but for those around me. Thank you to the amazing friends I do have, for figuring out that something wasn't right even though I wouldn't come right out and say it. Even though none of you knew it, you encouraged me to get the help I needed. I hope this article is helpful and I hope that everyone suffering right now finds help and obtains some peace.