4 ms·

Another mirrored aspect to this is that identifying the need, and obtaining the required mental health help (talk, drugs, etc) is not a skill that is taught/pas

by dsp1234 10y ago

Another mirrored aspect to this is that identifying the need, and obtaining the required mental health help (talk, drugs, etc) is not a skill that is taught/passed down/whatever very often (and it actively taught against in some cases). So it's easy for people to not even know that they need help, or to deny to themselves that something is wrong that needs help (or worse to be actively stigmatized away from finding help). There are a lot more "It's ok, you'll come out of that funk in no time" and "Just push through the pain, it's no big deal" conversations, than there are "You know it's ok to talk to a professional about this stuff, everyone does it" and "Having depression is like having a broken leg. Not seeking help is the crazy choice." conversations.

aftbit 10y ago
>"Having depression is like having a broken leg. Not seeking help is the crazy choice." That's an interesting way to put it. I've always seen depression as more like a respiratory disease. It might just be a cold, so you should wait a week or two before going to the doctor, but if you get worse instead of better, you need to go get some help.
- carapace 10y ago
  Well, you should differentiate between "normal-people" depressions and "clinical" depressions. I suffered from serious depression until my mid-twenties. It made it difficult to function, yet the people around me couldn't understand or relate. I can't tell you how many times I was accused of "just being lazy". My mother once said to me, "I know you're not faking because no one would deliberately be this miserable." You absolutely have to treat this "like a broken leg" because it is a real illness that won't just go away on its own. I did that and eventually found help that worked for me. Except for one nightmare-ish three day recurrence (I was so scared) I've never suffered from it again. Since then, I have had normal depression once or twice. This is what people meant when I tried to tell them about my sickness before and they would say, "Everyone feels depressed from time to time." (Oh how that sucked.) Now I get it. Everyone does feels depressed from time to time, due to reasons. Something bad happens, or some condition is deeply unsatisfying in your life and you feel bad. That's totally normal and part of navigating life. (To me, having dealt with the monster for so many years, normal depression is almost cute. Even though it still sucks. It's the difference between a scratch and a tooth-ache.) ---- edit: I just realized that this is why I couldn't understand Wood's actions. Given my history I wouldn't let anything send me back to the pit. Not even my most cherished project. Thanks folks who responded. Warm regards.
geoelectric 10y ago
Having depression is like having a broken leg--and then being expected to walk to the doctor's office. Personally, I think mental illness awareness should be taught more like emergency response first aid or stroke recognition: don't teach it to the mentally ill person, teach proper intervention to the people who are more likely to notice it and do something. The one mental disorder we actually do this with pretty well is ADHD, where family, friends and especially teachers and employers will generally notice before the person suffering it does. But then we use the fact that laypeople see it first as anecdotal "evidence" that it's not real, ignoring that you're a layperson too when you bring yourself to the doctor. It's a tough situation all around. I look forward to the day when mental illness is better understood and proper identification and care is better communicated.

by dsp1234 10y ago

aftbit 10y ago

>"Having depression is like having a broken leg. Not seeking help is the crazy choice." That's an interesting way to put it. I've always seen depression as more like a respiratory disease. It might just be a cold, so you should wait a week or two before going to the doctor, but if you get worse instead of better, you need to go get some help.

carapace 10y ago
Well, you should differentiate between "normal-people" depressions and "clinical" depressions. I suffered from serious depression until my mid-twenties. It made it difficult to function, yet the people around me couldn't understand or relate. I can't tell you how many times I was accused of "just being lazy". My mother once said to me, "I know you're not faking because no one would deliberately be this miserable." You absolutely have to treat this "like a broken leg" because it is a real illness that won't just go away on its own. I did that and eventually found help that worked for me. Except for one nightmare-ish three day recurrence (I was so scared) I've never suffered from it again. Since then, I have had normal depression once or twice. This is what people meant when I tried to tell them about my sickness before and they would say, "Everyone feels depressed from time to time." (Oh how that sucked.) Now I get it. Everyone does feels depressed from time to time, due to reasons. Something bad happens, or some condition is deeply unsatisfying in your life and you feel bad. That's totally normal and part of navigating life. (To me, having dealt with the monster for so many years, normal depression is almost cute. Even though it still sucks. It's the difference between a scratch and a tooth-ache.) ---- edit: I just realized that this is why I couldn't understand Wood's actions. Given my history I wouldn't let anything send me back to the pit. Not even my most cherished project. Thanks folks who responded. Warm regards.

geoelectric 10y ago

Having depression is like having a broken leg--and then being expected to walk to the doctor's office. Personally, I think mental illness awareness should be taught more like emergency response first aid or stroke recognition: don't teach it to the mentally ill person, teach proper intervention to the people who are more likely to notice it and do something. The one mental disorder we actually do this with pretty well is ADHD, where family, friends and especially teachers and employers will generally notice before the person suffering it does. But then we use the fact that laypeople see it first as anecdotal "evidence" that it's not real, ignoring that you're a layperson too when you bring yourself to the doctor. It's a tough situation all around. I look forward to the day when mental illness is better understood and proper identification and care is better communicated.