Disability #3 - Depression

Depression is a mental health disorder characterized by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life. Depression can be categorized as major depressive disorder or clinical depression, and it is a common yet serious mood disorder. Disorders that surround mental health can be seen as invisible disabilities, because you cannot tell that someone may have this disability just by looking them. Rather, it is what goes on inside their head-but it is a disability nonetheless. There is a large stigma surrounding mental health, a stigma in which people are scared to talk about depression, or admit they have it. However mental health is extremely important, and this stigma only plays into the role of disabilities being looked down upon in society. Depression causes severe symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working; it can control your day-to-day life. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 350 million worldwide suffer from depression, making it a leading cause of disability. 

For this narrative on depression, I am going to share my own story. I have struggled with depression for about 3 years now, since I was a senior in high school. I have never been medicated, and am fortunate enough to be able to function as I do, but it is something that can consume your life. I go to therapy and talk through it, and this has made my life so much better. Actually getting the help you need is so important, however this help can be difficult to attain when depression is viewed how it currently is within our society. 

Within my own personal narrative, I have also have a friend who struggles with depression who tried to take his life. Suicide and depression, most bluntly said, tend to go hand in hand. Depression causes many to feel hopeless, empty, pessimistic; and are left wondering why there even is a reason to live. My friend was stuck in this downward spiral, and was someone that truly hit the bottom. I knew he was depressed, as we would share our depression stories together. It comforted the both of us to know that we weren't the only ones going through what we were going through. However, at one point, it got bad enough for him that helping him was out of my control. His low point came from a trigger, that being his ex girlfriend, during winter break of sophomore year of college. When she did not want to get back together, it destroyed him. However, there were deeper problems rooted within this, and an ensuing depression took him over. He couldn't cope. I knew he liked to do drugs recreationally, however at this point it came down to him not being able to go a day without either a sip of alcohol, taking Xanax or smoking weed. He knew it, too, and at the peak of this bender, I received a call from him basically telling me goodbye, and that he was thankful to have me and that he was so grateful I had always been with him through his depression. At that moment, I knew what he was planning on doing. He was turning to suicide as his only way out. After we hung up, I called his mom, uncontrollably crying. She had no idea that her son had been struggling through this, and thanked me with her whole heart for telling her. I was able to prevent my friend from taking his life, which is something that is both heartening but also takes an extreme toll. This experience was tough on me as well, especially seeing someone I care so much about struggling so hard and not being able to do anything about it. I also knew the struggle that he was going through, not to the same extent, but I knew what state he was in and could feel it. It was a dark period for both of us. This was about a year and a half ago, and he has come a long way from that dark place, and has gotten his life back on track. He finally told his family what he was feeling; which is a hard thing to do. But it took someone else, that person being me, to reach out and get help for him. Both of us were scared and thought we would be judged if we came out about our depression. However, both of our lives are so much better now that we have gotten the help we needed. This again comes from the stigma that surrounds mental illness-a huge problem with society that could, literally, save lives if looked at differently. 

Having depression is not something you should have to keep inside, because there are solutions, there are ways to get better. People are so afraid to address depression; it is an avoided subject, something that no one wants to talk about. But we need to accept depression and know that it is a huge thing that many of us struggle with. If depression is more accepted, more people will come forward instead of keeping it in. It is also important to recognize depression as disability, even though you cannot always tell from an outside perspective.