Depression

#DEPRESSION

Depression is not the same as sadness, it isn't self-pity or self loathing, it's something far more internal and is usually triggered by emotions that have nothing to do with money, cars, or beautiful partners. In fact many rich, successful people with wondrously beautiful spouses suffer depression and some have even commit suicide because of it, and the worst thing is the outer world saw these people as having perfect lives simply because they owned a lot of material items and had a plush bank account so nobody even cared to notice what was going on internally. This is the problem that we have regarding depression, people think it is about outer self, that it is about not having material items or comparing to others, those are all outer things and you may want and you may very well need these items in your life but they are not enough to trigger depression if you don't have them, because there is no emotion attached to fast cars, money and luxury goods.

It's unfortunate that we have so many misinformed people that think fronting on social media about how perfect their lives are means they're not depressed or have no capacity to be depressed, and social media has actually contributed to this because everyone is trying to put their best life forward, they're trying to compete with A-list Celebrities who before were only seen in magazines and Television, before things like MTV cribs you never really saw what anyone’s car looked like or how many they had, and more importantly you didn't care.

The introduction of social media has made everyone feel in order to compete they have to present a glossy showreel of "The Perfect Positive Life" and although there isn't anything wrong with aspirations and the want of a better life it is making people think that it is what they need to be happy or considered "not depressed.”

I can talk about depression openly because I am no longer depressed and yet I do not have a perfect life, far from it in fact—(but what is a perfect life? How are we defining " perfect"?) However, when I was depressed some 10 years ago now I wanted the whole world to think my life was perfect and great which is why I would argue that those who are real about their ups and downs (as low as that down may be) are more likely to come out the other side, where as those who set up a BBQ when their house is burning down telling themselves "positivity attracts positivity" will suffer more when the negativity hits them like a ton of bricks. Positivity doesn't attract positivity, you may have read that on an Instagram post or if you’ve read a mass produced “self help” book, but the truth is life is a balancing act and each emotion needs to be felt sincerely in order for it to have a positive outcome—including depression because acting like everything is ok and positive when it isn't only prolongs the feeling of depression when you're away from social media or any social setting.

Identifying that you're depressed and being real, open, and honest with yourself and others about it not only helps others in the dark from feeling like they are going through depression alone, but it is also the quickest way to a happier more positive life.