By Sonja Wasden, as told to Kara Mayer Robinson
┬а
IтАЩm a mental health advocate living with major depression.
I speak with Fortune 500 companies, womenтАЩs prisons, firefighters, police officers, drug rehabilitation┬аcenters, nonprofit organizations, and media outlets about the importance of mental health.
My hope┬аis to break the stigma and let people know theyтАЩre not alone and can live a beautiful life despite having mental health challenges.
Common Misconceptions About Major Depressive Disorder
An important part of destigmatizing depression is breaking down common misunderstandings. While the perception of major depressive disorder is changing, many misconceptions linger.
For example, people often think depression is something you can brush off or flip like a light switch. They may say things like тАЬcheer upтАЭ or тАЬjust be happy.тАЭ But depression isn’t a choice. It’s a feeling and it’s real.
Another misunderstanding is how it appears on the surface. Just because someone looks happy doesn’t mean theyтАЩre not struggling. Often, people with depression put on a happy face to hide it from others.
People sometimes think someone whoтАЩs struggling with depression is trying to get attention. But no amount of attention is worth the painful feelings of major depressive disorder.
The problem with the ongoing stigma is that it may prevent you from speaking up and getting the help you need. The stigma can even be triggered by your own feelings. In the past, I often felt I wasnтАЩt worthy of help or I had no value because of my depressive disorder.
But people with major depressive disorder are some of the most resilient and hard-working people I know.┬аIt takes courage to face this condition day in and day out.
People with chronic illnesses like cancer or diabetes are often told theyтАЩre brave, courageous, and inspiring.┬аPeople with major depression should be told the same.
How ItтАЩs Changing
The perception of major depression is changing. People are talking more about mental health, which helps.
COVID-19┬аhas brought depression to the forefront. Studies┬аreport that the number of people experiencing depression has increased. For people with lower income and more stressors, the rate has tripled since the beginning of the pandemic.
As depression becomes more prominent, weтАЩre having more critical mental health conversations. ThereтАЩs a better understanding that people from all walks of life are experiencing depression. These honest conversations not only make people feel theyтАЩre not so alone, but also encourage people to speak up.
ItтАЩs also helpful that therapy is more common now. More people are going to therapy to improve their lives, even if theyтАЩre not struggling with mental health issues. This has reduced the stigma for getting therapy tremendously.
But thereтАЩs still stigma associated with taking mental health medication. ItтАЩs stigmatized to the point that many people who need it refuse to take it, even though it would help them improve their life greatly.
Accepting Your Diagnosis
It may be challenging to learn you have major depressive disorder.
When I┬аgot my diagnosis, my whole soul rebelled against┬аit.┬аI felt like my doctor was handing me a life sentence. I felt hopeless and helpless. I couldn’t see how I could live a normal life with depression as my constant companion.
But that changed. IтАЩm grateful for my doctors, medication, DBT (dialectical behavior therapy),┬аand therapists who taught me I can have a life worth living despite my depression. Through medicine and learning new skills, I now have a very beautiful and full life.
When you learn you have a diagnosis of major depressive disorder, the first step in the healing process is radical acceptance.┬аWhen you fight depressive emotions, it only gives them more fuel to thrive.
When I stopped fighting my diagnosis and started embracing it, thatтАЩs when┬аthe┬аquality of my life improved. Of course, I still have hard days that I have to accept and manage, but the magic of acceptance is that it stops unnecessary suffering caused by resisting it.┬а
Try to remember that there are millions of people who successfully live with difficult illnesses of every kind. YouтАЩre not alone. Chronic illnesses arenтАЩt fun and they take daily management, but thereтАЩs power in acceptance. It’s the only way to move forward.
You may live your life differently than someone else without┬аa depressive disorder and thatтАЩs OK. But it doesn’t mean you can’t have a full and meaningful life.┬аTry to use self-help, self-love, and patience.
How You Can Help Break the Stigma
It takes everyone to break a stigma: celebrities, public figures, families, friends, schools, government leaders, news outlets, advocacy groups, doctors, therapists, and individuals.
One of the best ways you can help break down the stigma is to allow and participate in mental health conversations. Educate yourself. Be aware of the language you use. Show equality between physical and mental illnesses. Be compassionate.
Talk about it at work, with friends, and with family.┬аPost on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about things related to mental health awareness. Be one of the drops in a bucket. Each person’s voice matters.
