Depression is a serious mental illness that makes your body not capable of creating enough serotonin to feel happy on a daily basis. If you act like someone with depression can easily get over it, it shows that you do not know its true extent. By being careful with your words around someone with depression, you can prevent someone’s feelings from being hurt and support that person through their treatment.
Snap Out of It
If you had a broken ankle, you would not be telling someone to “snap out of it” or “get over it.” The same is true for mental illness in that denial will make those symptoms either stay or progressively worsen. We cannot will ourselves to produce more serotonin or to be happy. It requires understanding that your friend needs to take their medication and other treatment tools to feel better.
It Is All In Your Head
Depression is when your brain is not capable of producing enough mood-regulating substances called neurotransmitters. We are not imagining our depression as no one wants to suffer with it or be unhappy every day. Even though our lack of neurotransmitters is technically happening in our head does not mean that depression is not a real mental illness.
It Is Your Own Fault
There are many causes of depression. None of them are our fault. Scientists believe that depression could have been handed down to us from our ancestors or environmental factors play a key role in it. No one chooses to have depression and is not responsible for having it. The only thing we are responsible for what we do about our depression. How it came is beyond our control.
You Do Not Look Depressed
Depression does not always mean that someone has a tear-stained face or is gloomy-looking. Someone can walk around putting on a fake smile and doing regular, everyday activities like anyone else. It does not mean that they are not falling apart on the inside. Do not assume that everyone you meet looks the way they feel.
You Understand (You Really Do Not)
Unless you have experienced clinical depression before, you have no right to say to someone that you know what they are going through. There is a difference between a slight case of sadness compared to full-blown depression. Showing sympathy and compassion towards those with depression can make a huge difference in their mental health.
Located in Georgetown, Texas, Alma Loma is a transformative living center to help those struggling in early recovery to transition out of our Psychiatric and Substance Abuse residential center. Alma Loma believes that addiction is born from an untreated mental illness in which our facility is willing to help you. Our facility offers residency, medication management education, individualized treatment, life skills education, 12-step support, and more tools to bring patients the confidence to be able to live an independent life. For more information, please call us at 866-457-3843.
