Chapter 12: Understanding someone that is suffering from depression

I know that we have talked about depression in chapter 3 ‘If you’re going through hell, keep going‘ If you haven’t checked it out, please do it now before you start reading part two in order to have a better understanding.

This chapter will mainly focus on ways we can prevent victims of depression from harming themselves.

The main reason why I am writing this, is because recently it was the World Mental Health Day (10th of October) and it just reminds us that it is important that we bring awareness for this cause. October is the perfect month to discuss these issues that we should never ignore.

The latest reports according to the NHS shows that in the UK, depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses have increased as shown in the diagrams below. One in five British adults have had suicidal thoughts, and anti-depressant prescriptions have doubled in a decade in England.

This is very worrying because these illnesses can sometimes cause unnecessary deaths that could be prevented and it also shows that mental health is just as important as physical health. The results of a recent survey carried out by a charity organisation, Business in the Community, showed that at least 84% of the population in the UK agreed with this thought.

They also found out that many individuals know one or more people that suffer from mental illness. I believe that, with this information we can make a difference by helping those that suffer from mental health issues. If you know someone that is going through this, you should feel obligated in being there for them. Sometimes giving them advice can change their thoughts, making sure that they know that they are worth it and that nothing bad lasts forever can also be beneficial in the recovery process.

The NHS also carried out a data analysis regarding the correlation between gender and mental illness and came to a conclusion that young women are more likely to report suicidal thoughts, this does not mean that there are more women suffering from mental illness as it could be the case that more women are reporting about it whereas men tend to keep it quiet. As the graph shows it seems that in all age groups, women are still the highest proportion to report their situation.

So what can we understand those suffering from mental illness?

• People with depression or any other mental illness cannot just “snap out of it”. You have to understand that it is not easy to just change how you are feeling as you cannot control how one feels. You never know if they are fighting hard to be happy again and it is not working.

 

• There isn’t always a reason on why someone might be feeling depressed. Although sometimes depression can be caused because of an event in someone’s life, it is not always the case. If someone has never suffered from depression, it is hard for them to understand that this illness sometimes can occur for no reason and that it is hard to explain.

• People suffering from mental illnesses don’t mean to hurt you. There are many cases in which the person is struggling with their mental health and ends up pushing away their family and friends. If you know someone dealing with this problem do not make them feel like they are pushing you away as they already feel like they are letting people down and feel guilty when they say something that might be hurtful to other individuals. We should never take things personally even if it is hard to love someone dealing with mental illness.

 

• Depression and being sad are not the same thing. Many people still believe that sometimes when people claim that they are depressed or anxious, it means that they are just sad and should cheer up. They forget that depression is persistent sadness that doesn’t go away that easily. It can take weeks, months and even years to get over it. Moreover, it can also affect your personality and interests in life and the way you see your future.

 

• Mental illness isn’t a choice like some people might think. No-one chooses to be depressed or suffer from any mental illness. It not only affects the person suffering from it but it also affects everyone around them. It ruins relationships, work and education. Nevertheless, a person suffering from a mental illness is not weak.

 

• People suffering from depression can have some good days. It is not always bad days as this illness is very volatile specially for those suffering from schizophrenia/bipolar.

In conclusion, be understanding to those that are battling with mental illness as you never know how much you can make a difference in making them feel better.

♥ “Ignore those who say just get over it. Healing is a process.” ♥

Thank you for reading and please don’t forget to show your support 🙂

xoxo Anita