Image Alt Tag – Depression Stigmas
Depressive disorder popularly known as depression is a prevalent mental health condition involving low mood, lack of interest and pleasure in daily activities. Depression is different from other mood disorders, as it affects routine functioning as well as other aspects such as school, job, family, friends, other social impairments, etc.
In spite of depression becoming quite a known disorder there is a stigma about it. Friends, family, society, peers, and social media have churned certain misconceptions that might instigate depression to be taboo. Certainly, it is witnessed that anyone diagnosed with depression is categorised with to be ABNORMAL. Rather it has to be seen that depression is a condition experienced by normal people.
Stigmas like depression is linked directly to suicidal thoughts/actions which holds that self-harming behaviour is not at all accurate. Suicidal thoughts and self-harming behaviour is one of the signs of depression but it involves a much deeper understanding to label the condition. Many times social media and online OTT culture present a stereotypical picture of people with depression. Such portrayals create misconceptions that make people unaware of other signs of depression and might limit their understanding.
Another example of the same is confusing depression with inability. We might often tend to confuse depression as a lack of strength and conclude it to be a weakness and find people with depression to be unable to do things and question their efficiency. It is crucial to understand that it is a condition involving certain impairments, but the same could be managed with professional attention. Overgeneralization of the same often makes people feel embarrassed to acknowledge and express their concerns. Perhaps it is important to not conclude and jump to conclusions as it might be the fear of the one suffering left unhelped. It is often seen that people are undiagnosed for years of depression which refrains them from getting the required help.
Furthermore, depression has been misunderstood as just sadness. It is essential to understand that it is more complex than just sadness. It does inculcate persistent feelings of sadness and low mood and energy, although not limited to that much. Sadness experienced consistently with loss of interest in enjoyable activities, loss of appetite, loss of sleep, and inability to focus are also some manifestations to be considered as the onset of depression.
Due to lack of awareness, faulty cultural beliefs, gender biassed thoughts, and lack of understanding people are unable to recognise the difficulties they experience because of depression. They often fear the judgement accompanied by society to be unacceptable.
It also witnessed that a person feeling depressed after undergoing a trauma is motivated towards PSEUDO POSTiVITY- meaning trying harder and pushing to think positively. One obviously struggling to feel normal when forced to think positively suppresses their honest expression and leaves them untreated. It is necessary for one to process their feelings and thoughts to have the bandwidth to handle the same. It is very harmful to someone with depression to try harder and just pull through. It just disregards their feelings and emotions and other biological factors which creates self-doubt. In fact such thoughts might perpetuate feelings of guilt and self-doubts.
Social and cultural factors often classify depression to be particularly driven only by some situations and classes of people, the main causes of depression explained in this scenario are poverty and financial crisis. This is little of the suffering one goes through while experiencing depression. Other social standards are often seen undermining the onset of depression by pointing towards privileges and invalid the depression. It is important to understand that one can be beautiful yet depressed, one can be successful yet depressed, one can be rich yet depressed, and one may have everything yet feel depressed. The fact is depression cannot be understood by one size fits all. Every individual has a different feeling and reminisces of feeling depressed.
Nevertheless, depression has been revolving around a lot of myths and stigmas. It loses the authenticity and actual happenings of the depressed person. Especially with women and young girls while their menstrual cycle experiences emotional and mood changes which are often stereotyped as feeling depressed, or women feeling vulnerable is stigmatised as feeling episodes of depression as part of the cycle. Depression is not limited to a gender, or any class or caste.
In addition, it is crucial to understand that depression is not due to a lack of willpower, and one going through could just snap out if they try more. That is not true or even practically possible. Neither to connect depression as another form of laziness. People with depression often struggle with routine day-to-day activities which are not at all the result of laziness.
Often witnessed that person is held accountable for the depression experienced and considers it to be a character flaw. This makes the person feel responsible for the depression and prevents them from seeking correct help. It is very important to note that depression is not a choice, it is a medical condition.
It is often witnessed that people do not recognise depression as really an illness and find that to be just a phase. Only because the symptoms visible are sadness and low mood there is not adequate recognition. Depression certainly does not always represent physical symptoms perhaps people might overlook and not consider the same.
Strong influence to combat and resilience is emphasised thinking depression can be cured by self-motivation and encouragement. It might serve as a helping hand but it is not practically always possible to just motivate ourselves and bounce back from the depression. People also limit depression to being related to just any traumatic experience or any setback experienced but that is not the case always, it might be a result of genetic problems, Postpartum issues, hormonal imbalance, and several other biological factors too. So to categorise the cause of depression based on lack of awareness also creates stigmas about depression.
Understanding the repercussions of these stigmas it is very important to debunk the same and break them. Especially in schools and colleges students and parents both should be sensitised on the same. Very important step should be taken by physiological family doctors as well by debriefing patients and making adequate suggestions in case any symptoms present. Addressing these stigmas is important to promote wellness and motivate to take the needful help. Educational curriculum and parenting styles should involve the concept of empathy and compassion towards the same at a young age. It’s crucial to recognize that depression is a legitimate medical condition that requires understanding and support from both individuals and society as a whole.
Also Read: What is Depression and How TMS Therapy Can Help With It?
