Depression is not feeling sad. Depression is not feeling down about a test or about something that happened at work. Depression is a common but serious mental illness that affects not only the person dealing with depression but also the friends and family of the person dealing with it as well.
My battle with depression is probably very similar to many of your fights. Over the years family illness, relationship troubles, struggling to fit in socially and frustration with academics all add up. Each little event adds up until I can’t take it anymore. The tiniest things will set me off. I’ll explode with anger, and then quickly recede into a shell, refusing to talk with people, refusing to see the positives of a situation.
I feel lonely, but I know I am not alone. How does that make sense? I know I have a great small circle of friends and family who are always willing to talk with me about whatever is on my mind. The problem for me is I never have the words to express what I’m feeling. I’m always afraid that I’ll let someone down.
Depression doesn’t control my life. There are days where I’m happy, outgoing and even boisterous, telling jokes with friends, making fun of bad political ads and laughing about old stories. There are times where I feel like nothing can stand in my way, that I can accomplish anything. But then there are days where I don’t leave bed, days where all these problems I face on a daily basis seem insurmountable, days where I feel lost in my own head.
The fact is, I know I’m not alone in this fight. A 2011 study found that 30 percent of students on college campuses across the U.S. said they were “so depressed it was difficult to function.” This same study said that people with depression were more more likely to drink to get drunk, which could lead to alcohol abuse and the problems that come with it, such as unsafe sex or substance abuse.
Why did I write this article? I’m tired of hearing people make fun of those struggling with depression and other mental health illnesses. It’s not a matter of me "feeling sorry for myself," "purposely feeling alone" or "being too negative." It’s just a part of who I am. I’m not proud of it, but I’m certainly not ashamed of it.
If this article accomplishes anything, I hope that it is this – if there is anyone reading this who is depressed, know you are not alone. I’m writing this because I think it’s time mental health illness is accepted on this campus and campuses across America, instead of being swept under the rug. There is a negative stigma surrounding mental health illness, and it boxes in those of us who struggle with this illness. It makes us feel ashamed of what we deal with; scared of being honest with the people we associate with. It doesn’t have to be this way.
You don’t make fun of someone with strep throat. You don’t make fun of someone with the flu. Don’t make fun of someone with depression.
Steven Haderer is a junior in the School of Communication.
Reach the AU Counseling Center at (202) 885-3500 or through their website.
