There is no denying that there is a stigma in our society that emotional pain is not real pain. I hate it with a passion. I
f someone falls over and breaks their leg, everyone sympathises and understands that there is a need to take time off, and look after yourse. Physical pain is an acceptable type of pain. Yet if someone has depression and is suffering intense emotional pain it is considered weak and invalid. This shits me. And I sadly wonder why that with all the information and education out there about mental illness it is still not accepted as genuine.
I have come across many people in my life who have thought, either secretly or publicly that depression, (and other personality disorders) is not a real illness and that one should simply 'snap out of it.' It hurts me to think that despite all efforts to educate people, our tolerance and understanding of such illness is still lacking.
The fact of the matter that depression is real. It is not just a 'phase' and something that one can simply get over. Ever heard the expression, I just couldn't get out of bed? That isn't an exaggeration. It comes to a point where there is nothing left in you and the most simple of tasks seem impossible. I've heard so many people say you should just get up! Just get out of bed. It's not that hard. It is. I remember these days clearly. Having no energy left to face the world, I became unable to do normal things, like eat, shower, dress or brush my teeth. You simply stop existing.
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Another attitude I have found with things like chronic depression and anxiety is where they say, "I get sad/anxious, but I can deal with it. Why can't you?" As if this is within the normal range of human feeling and not an aberration, a mental illness.
ReplyDeleteI get tired of trying to explain it to people. I'm not just "a little bit sad/anxious".
Thats true Shupface. People who don't have depression often believe that their own experiences are comparable to those suffered within depression.
ReplyDeleteAs you said, "I can deal with it, so why can't you?"
It's simple. Depression can create a mindset of enormity that overwhelms even the smallest actions. People with depression can struggle to face even simple tasks like getting groceries or cleaning their room, even to the extent of not being able to get out of bed (as Elise said).