Recently the world experienced the loss of a great humanitarian and comedian, Robin Williams to depression. Unfortunately he lost his battle and took his own life. As sad as this is there are thousands of people who suffer from depression every day. Depression is a silent but painful disease that haunts those who have it daily. Robin Williams death shined a light on this misunderstood illness for all to see. The majority of people think of depression as a period of sadness or the blues. The truth is that most people feel sad or depressed at times which is a normal reaction to a loss, stress or low self-esteem. The difference between feeling depressed and being depressed is a marked feeling of intense sadness, which includes feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and worthlessness. These feelings tend to last for days or weeks and keep you from functioning normally.
Depression hurts, it not only hurts the person suffering from it but those who are closest to you. It causes you to isolate yourself and become an inactive participant in life. Depression is a treatable condition but people have to get over the stigma associated with it and seek help. Thousands go undiagnosed out of fear of being labeled, but undiagnosed depression can escalate and lead to the use of alcohol or drugs to compensate for the feelings or even can lead to the development of eating disorders or suicide.
You can turn on the television and see animated commercials that talk about some of the popular medications that can help those suffering with depression but they do not give an accurate picture of the face of depression. Depression can affect anyone, it affects children, teens, successful executives, moms, and grandparents. Robin Williams showed us that being rich and famous are not enough to keep one from depression. Any one of us could be the face of depression, if you or someone you know is suffering from feelings of depression talk to someone, seek help from your physician or a psychologist. Depression is treatable and you can live a full life – it doesn’t have to be the end.
#WeAllNeedSomeHelp 