Let’s open with the fact that depression affects nearly 86 million people in WHO South-East Asia Region and if left untreated, in its most severe form can lead to suicide. Eight studies from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, reported the prevalence of depression among people who had died by suicide. Investigated using a range of screening and diagnostic tools, the reported prevalence of depression ranged between 22.0% and 59.7%.
Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh even stress on the matter on the World Health Day 2017,
“Depression is an issue that needs to be heard. It can affect anyone at any stage of life, impacting relationships, work and social interactions, and impeding our ability to live life to its fullest, whatever culture or community we belong to.”
Depression is a society-wide issue — Each one of us must speak about depression openly and maturely. By talking about depression more openly and a better understanding of the condition, it would put us all in a stronger position to help ourselves as well as those around us that may experience depression.
Now, some people think that depression is like an inability to sort out emotions, and is a result of how the person to deal with the feelings. But, to conclude depression based on that would be misleading. So, in order to understand this phenomenon better, let’s talk about some misconceptions about depression.
Myth 1: Depression is all in your head
Depression is a psychological, social, and biological disorder that’s chronic and takes treatment to manage. The general public only sees the emotional side of depression like acting out or not acting like yourself. If we took the time to realize that depression is a condition that causes physical issues as well, maybe we would see that depression is a real disease that takes time and treatment to manage.
Myth 2: Dealing with depression is a normal part of life
Those who deal with depression don’t have to fight it alone, and it’s possible to manage depression. It’s not a normal part of getting older — Even though in life people go through many changes, being depressed is not something with which people have to live.
Myth 3: Everyone experiences depression in the same way
People who experience depression may have physical differences in their brains than the average person. These differences don’t always act the same way in everyone’s brain. The changes in the brain, plus hormone changes, can influence the severity of moods, thoughts, and physical issues.
Myth 4: Only women get depressed
It’s not that there isn’t any depression in men, it’s just that men don’t talk about it as often as women. Some men believe that talking about their emotions is silly or pathetic, also they avoid treatments for depression in fear that they will no longer appear masculine or strong. Furthermore, some signs of depression in men are different than in women.
Myth 5: Depression is the same as being sad
Feeling down and being depressed are two different things. Depression can be brought on by feelings of sadness, but feeling down doesn’t last as long as an episode of depression. Unlike sadness, depression usually doesn’t go away on its own, does not go away with time or encouragement from friends and loved ones. People with depression have many other emotions other than feeling sad, such as feeling anxious, tense, empty and experience other negative emotions.
Myth 6: Depression isn’t a big deal
Clinical depression is a serious condition that causes those who suffer from it to withdraw from loved ones, take dangerous risks or even start conflicts with others. It requires treatment to manage and overcome. The fact that depression can lead directly to thoughts or actions of a suicidal nature makes depression a very big deal.
Myth 7: Depression is a weakness
People just do not decide to become depressed. The only reason depression is viewed as a weakness is that society has stigmatised the condition. Depression is a biological and psychological condition that has nothing to do with how strong you are.
Myth 8: Talking about it only makes it worse
Try not to ignore the symptoms of depression if you see it in those around you. For the person going through depression, it is a relief when someone notices a change in your mood or behaviour and has the compassion and courage to ask how you’re doing, listening and offering steady support and encouragement.
Myth 9: Medication will change your personality and you’ll be taking it forever
Today’s anti-depressants are safe and effective. For most people, taking an anti-depressant makes them feel more like themselves. Antidepressants are not the same as painkillers or sedatives and they don’t typically make people feel “medicated”. Their job is to correct the brain chemistry that is causing the symptoms of depression. In most cases, engaging in therapy while using an anti-depressant will speed up the recovery.
Myth 10: The best way to help someone with depression is to cheer them up
Well-meaning people will often tell a person with depression to look on the bright side — to snap out of it, or stop thinking about it. However, it’s much more complicated than that. The best way to help a person with depression is to make sure they have access to screening and treatment.