As our generation continues on highlighting issues that are affecting the everyday lives of millions of people, there is still one epidemic has went unnoticed for years, and that is depression.
Depression is more common than many people think, and it can be one of the deadliest diseases in our society. It really is the silent killer of millions of people every year. It affects the way that people live their day-to-day lives. There is always this constant feeling of never being enough and never feeling worthy for other people’s attention. There are also those times that it just seems too hard to want to get out of bed and face the world again. This feeling of lethargy is not something to be taken lightly.
As of now, there are millions of people, especially those in college, who are suffering silently from depression. Some are much quicker to the draw than others to ask for help. This can be by asking your doctor to prescribe medication, but it can also involve seeing a therapist on a weekly or monthly basis.
It would be thought that with as much talk as there is about depression in our society that people would be more willing to seek help; however, many have been told that having depression should not be talked about. Additionally, there is this stigma that you are weak for needing pills in order to be happy and that all you need is some more socialization, but that is just a bunch of nonsense. This is the stigma that needs to die out. There is no reason for people to continually suffer and be bullied into not getting the help they need.
It is okay to admit that you need help, especially in this case. Just because you have admitted that you need a little help getting back to your normal self is not a sign of weakness. If anything, it is a sign that you are strong. A strong person will admit their faults and receive help when they need it. Depression is not something to joke about, nor is it something to ignore. Depression at its worst can lead people to take their lives. Every year, close to 800,000 people take their own lives because of their continued suffering.
It is best to not become apart of this statistic. Families, classmates, friends, anybody who knew you as a person will be devastated. The memories of you will continue to live on, but their loved one whom they lost, you who they lost, will never be able to make more with them. Remember, depression will not always be there. It will not run every aspect of your life as it has. This is just a stepping stone is this path of life. Seeking help will not push you back from going forward, but it will propel you forward to your next goal in life.
As a reminder, if you are suffering from depression and feel like you have no one to turn to the SAMHSA national hotline can be contacted at 1-800-662-4357 at any time and any day. Don’t let yourself be down, but remember that you are loved by many.