Depression: Common Myths and Misconceptions

With the growing digital advancements of this virtual age, a sense of nothingness has taken over this generation in a huge way which eventually leads to mental illness in the form of anxiety disorders, personality disorders, psychotic disorders, eating disorders and needless to mention, depression. It is never easy to boil Depression down to a single definition/statement that covers all its aspects and symptoms at the same time. It is one of the major mental disorders that affect people irrespective of gender, age so on and the like.

However, even in this 21st century, many misconceptions seem to be there in the society. Many people seem to have adopted the notion of depression in such a prejudiced way that it automatically links their idea of it to a fragile and futile make-believe concept which is not only harmful for them but it also affects the people around them in the long run. This article aims at representing some of the common internalized misconceptions that seem to be wrongly associated with depression which go a long way towards causing further anxiety issues for people who suffer from depression.

1. It’s all in the head!

It is not. If you are one of those people who throw around this phrase in a casual manner whenever you hear someone talking about their fight with depression or other forms of mental disorders, it is high time you understand the repercussions associated with it. It may have a long lasting influence on that individual without you having a slightest idea about it.
It has been clinically proved to be one of the most damaging mental disorders that have the capability to break an individual inside out.

2. It is a way to seek attention.

People who happen to be clinically depressed for quite some time have a really hard time getting over it. There are various ways that they try to find their happiness in. some of them are vocal about it and many are not. However, stigmatizing, calling them names, terming them as mere attention seekers go on to make their journey way more difficult than it already is.
It takes a lot of courage and inner strength for people to come up and share their sufferings with other people. In no way do they seek attention nor do they want sympathy from anyone. In most cases, all they want is someone to listen, and understand what is going on in their mind when it is really difficult itself for them to understand it in the first place.

3. It’s genetic.

Statistics show that only around 15% of who suffer from depression has relatives who had depression in the past. Each person deals with it in a different way. The way it affects people is different. Even when it is genetic, two individuals may not show similar symptoms and the recovery time varies from one another.
Depression is just sadness!
Feeling sad temporarily and being depressed are two absolutely different things. Depression is a long term illness and is very different than being sad. It can be escalated from sadness, but it affects in a much wider way. Sadness is a temporary feeling which usually goes away on its own unlike depression. Depression comes along with a lot more other negative feelings including anxiety, unnecessary guilt feelings, overthinking, emptiness, nothingness and the like.

4. Only women get depressed.

There is this systematic internalized patriarchal fragile notion of being a Man present within us due to which in most of the cases, men choose to keep shut and do not express their emotions which eventually leads to unbearable pain and sufferings.
Women unlike men, are relatively more vocal about it and do not refrain themselves from talking about how they feel.

5. It’s just a weakness and never a big of a deal.

Due to the systematic stigmatization associated with depression, many people tend to think it is a mere temporary weakness or disability. No one chooses to be depressed and it has nothing to do with how strong they actually are.
Clinical depression is a big deal that needs regular psychological treatment in order for the patient’s recovery. Sometimes it even takes up to 8-10 years.

6. Only medication can treat depression.

Medication is one of the types by which patients are treated sometimes. It is not the only way. There are various other therapy sessions that include meditation/music therapy and other cognitive therapies that have been proved to be equally valid and helpful in treating depression.

7. Depression is always caused by trauma.

In many cases traumatic past incidents play a major role in triggering the sense of depression in people. Even people who have no such traumatizing past history can suffer from depression.

All cases are different and unique at the same time. Hence, any form of generalization or stigmatization can be way more harmful than we can even imagine. These kinds of insensitive judgmental concepts do not help, but they only contribute in making their struggle way harder than it already is. It is high time people understand to what extent these wrong judgmental thoughts and misinterpretations cause trouble for them who already are going through a lot. All we should do is to stop being judgmental and be kinder enough to help each other out in difficult situations that will eventually contribute to the process of making the world a better place, for all of us.

– Suvasree Bandyopadhyay.