Let's Talk About Depression

Everyone either knows someone who has had depression or is going through it themselves. It’s unfortunately quite common and is only getting more frequent with current events. In the year 2017, 7.1% of the population in the United States was reported to be suffering from major depressive disorder. It is more common in women than men, and has an increased likelihood in people suffering from other mental or physical illnesses. Half of all people with depression also meet the requirements to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Depression can be genetic or situationally caused if a person undergoes a traumatic or difficult life event.

What do we think of when we think of someone who is depressed? Stereotypically, someone unable to get out of bed, crying frequently, socially withdrawn, etc. We tend to focus on the “sad” aspect of depression, and the extreme symptoms of that, without thinking about all of the other minor things that can also occur. People suffering from depression don’t always show it in ways that are obvious to those around them. They could instead seem angry or suddenly change their behavior and personality. It is important to understand how to help those around us with depression, and the first step is recognizing the symptoms.

Symptoms of depression include the following: lack of energy, agitation, increased substance use, self harming, social withdrawal, withdrawal from activities, changes in sleep, and changes in physical health. Of course, these symptoms do not always indicate a depressive disorder. Sometimes, they just happen due to life changes or other disorders without a depressive element involved. It is important to take notice when your friends and family seem to be struggling with things and think of ways to help them that don’t cause them to react defensively. Ask them if they need help with any housework, ask them if they want to go on a hike (while being COVID safe of course), or even offer your support by mentioning they can talk to you if they need anything. Try calling them regularly or even simply sending them  funny videos. Instead of telling them you are worried about them, which may lead to a negative reaction on their part, increase your support for them so that when they need help and love they have you to turn to.

Another factor to consider is how some people who have depression will attempt to distance themselves from it by acting oppositely from how the disease stereotypically makes people. Perhaps one of the most fascinating elements of depression is how easily it can be laughed away by the person experiencing it. Robin Williams died in 2014 after a long battle with depression. While he continued to record stand-up comedy acts and star in comedy movies, he was suffering from major depressive disorder, which in turn led to substance abuse issues. He was very open about these things during interviews and in his acts, but the general consensus was that he was not at a risk of anything because he still “seemed so happy”. This idea is harmful and can cause people to ignore the signs of people needing help. A comparison could be a person struggling with cancer- if they continue to laugh and participate in activities and seem “normal”, one may assume the cancer just isn’t that bad, even though it is and the person just chooses to handle it differently than anticipated. 

Even if a person in your life seems happy, check on them. If a person seems to be on top of the world with everything going right on the outside, check on them. If a person is suddenly engaging in risky behaviors or withdraws, check on them more. Please pay attention to those you care about. We all need support now more than ever, even from a distance. Depression is just one of many things that people will struggle with in their lives but it can have very dangerous and tragic consequences. It is important to be aware of the signs of mental health disorders such as this in order to be a better ally and support system to those around you.

Kyndal Sims

Birch Psychology

Resources:

https://time.com/3102414/robin-williams-depression-struggles-go-back-decades/

https://www.dbsalliance.org/education/depression/statistics/

https://www.caba.org.uk/help-and-guides/information/how-spot-depression-others

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/helping-someone-with-depression.htm