The Truth About Depression

There isn't a magic cure for a broken leg, but there is available treatment that can have your leg healed and working like it did before the break. The same can be said for depression and other mental illnesses. While it has become more socially acceptable over the years through education and awareness, just because more people seem to know about depression and what it is, I still am not seeing that there is more understanding. If anything, it feels as though there is more acceptance of it, which is mainly leading to people on a social level become more expectant that others will have depression. '

For those of you that aren't brushed up on what depression is and isn't, take a look.

How Many Misconceptions Did You Believe?

Once upon a time, it was considered a weakness if you didn't or couldn't pull yourself up and out of a depression. Now, for depression that has pervasive symptoms, lasting over 2 weeks, we call it major depressive disorder. If you have been feeling this way then you would likely qualfy for assistance from counseling (which couldn't we all benefit from this anyway) and more than likely medication.

Do I Have to Take Medication for Depression?

Part of taking Depression seriously is treating it appropriately. Much like we need to take antibiotics at times when we are sick, there is a need to take anti-depressants or mood stabilizers for many when they have depression. Taking these kinds of medications irregularly is an easy thing to do. However, think of it this way... if you don't take your stuff regularly then you aren't reacting to your depression in a manner that says that you are taking it seriously. That being said, this is not a medical blog and I am not a doctor. My experience is in the mental health industry and I provide coaching to a wide range of individuals. I also have been going thruogh perhaps one of the biggest depressive episodes. I am learnig a lot and I will say, no I don't take medication anymore.

It isn't so much that you need to take medication or not. You do need to get help once the depression gets beyond your capabilities. Therapists and coaches, trained in psychology (and sometimes religous studies as well) can help a lot by simply teaching you coping skills such as scheduling, exercice routines, deception of the self, perspective shifting and more.

Yes, Deception is a Coping Skill

Well, it can be. Deceiving and lying is never good but sometimes not indulging the self is required. Before you get all fired up to believe the worst about something listen to the voice of where this is coming from. Many people find that they can talk positive in their mind and eventually they believe it. It requires persistence though

Deceiving oneself is still not going to start solving the problem ofus all taking it seriously though. It almost seems that all of the solutions we have currently to date stem from that original form when it was not polite to feel things. It almost seems like an endless cycle of up and down - and we're trapped in it.

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So, What Do You Do?

I would like to hear how you have changed your feelings about mental health, or rather, if you have. I am noticing a trending difference between my generation (I like to think I am a gen X er - but i am like 7 months off technically) and the millennial and then the ones post-millennial. I think that the best thing we can do is to stop skirting the topic, talk about it and keep that conversation going.

If you have a story about mental illness or depression, I would love to hear it!