Posted in depression, mental illness

Depression-Snap Out of It!

Posted on by Penny Wilson Writes

Those that think we can turn depression off and on like a light switch have never experienced real depression.  Being “sad”, or “low”, or “bummed out”, or “down in the dumps” happens to everyone.  This is not depression.

There are many TYPES of depression and many, many different symptoms for them.  I had one commenter describe her depression as feeling “empty inside”.  I’ve described it as being in a black pit, kept from the light.  Both are excellent descriptions.

This, in part, is a comment I received from someone on the subject. “ I strongly disagree with a statement you made though, which is why this comment. “Depression” is not an illness, but an emotional state of being that any human being might find themselves “feeling”.

Human beings are not powerless over their own emotions and “feelings”, be they positive or negative.”

You won’t find the complete comment because I refuse to give credence to this way of thinking.  

I know that we are not powerless over our feelings.   People who suffer from chronic depression deal with that every day.  We put on a smile and go about our daily lives.  There is no other choice.

This is just a snippet of an article that I found on the website Very Well Mind.com, an excellent website with lots of good information on the subject.

Depression and Suicide

Depression and suicide are linked, with an estimate that up to 60 percent of people who commit suicide have major depression. However, millions of Americans have depression and this figure doesn’t mean most people with depression will attempt suicide. A study by the Mayo Clinic in 2000 found the rate of suicide among patients with depression was between 2 and 9 percent, while older studies using stricter definitions said it was around 15 percent.

  https://www.verywellmind.com/suicide-rates-overstated-in-people-with-depression-2330503

Every time I write about depression, my views skyrocket.  Take this for example:

The spike you see on April 4th is because of my last piece on depression.  If depression is just a “feeling”, why are there so many people looking for and looking at this subject? 

Another piece of that comment that I received is this: “Ergo, changing ones thinking results in a change of emotional states…”

So I can just snap out of it?  Brilliant!!  Why didn’t I think of that!?

Anyone that thinks that a person with Clinical Depression can just change their mind and come out of it must be either living under a rock or completely stupid.

This is an excellent article written by the Mayo Clinic on Clinical Depression: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/expert-answers/clinical-depression/faq-20057770

I continue to write about depression and it’s horrifying statistics, so that possibly, someday, this type of “snap out of it” way of thinking is gone. 

I could give tons of reasons and spout statistics until I’m blue in the face, but some people just don’t get it.  Unfortunately, this adds to the stigma on the subject. 

EVERY DAY 121 Americans commit suicide.  50% of those people suffered from depression.  Reason enough to write about it?  I thought so too. If you need help -The Suicide Prevention Hotline, available 24/7 is 1-800-273-8255  Is talking to someone too much for you?  It was for me at times.  There is a Crisis Text Line.  Text 741741 and you can text with a counselor.

As always, thank you for joining me on this journey. ❤ Penny

 

 

Author:

Penny Wilson is an international writer who writes in several genres. She has written articles for WOW Women on Writing. Her poetry has been published in online journals, such as Ariel Chart, Spill Words Press and the Poppy Road Review. Penny is a member of the Austin Poetry Society. Her poetry has been featured in the publication America's Emerging Poets 2018 & 2019 by Z Publishing and Poets Quarterly and Dual Coast Magazine published by Prolific Press. Most recently, you can find her poetry in an anthology by WordCrafter Press called Poetry Treasures. Penny is an advocate for Mental Health Awareness and has the page "Mental Health Help" on her blog. She writes about the struggles of mental illnesses and Depression. She is passionate about spreading awareness for Suicide Prevention and Domestic Abuse. She expresses her passion through her writings of poetry and life experiences. You can find more of her writings on her blog at https://pennywilsonwrites.com/

27 thoughts on “Depression-Snap Out of It!”

      1. Never a problem, these posts and others like them need to be seen, read, absorbed and understood – the messages are clear – people not only need to open their eyes but their minds too 🙂

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  3. Another great post Penny – the way to combat this stigma and taboo we face from society is to keep writing about it, there are more and more people out there each and every day that can relate and resonate with what you write that the naysayers think. Dark Depression and by this l don’t mean ‘l have had a bad day depression’, but the real shit storm is sadly on the increase, we live in a world that creates stress, anxiety and depression as daily now as the air we breathe.

    The more that it is out there being read , being written about, being expressed the more people will come to understand that this hidden and oft crippling disability is not just a moment people go through but a real despairing rollercoaster ride.

    Again terrific post.

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  4. Pingback: Depression-Snap Out of It! | Fox&Co. Mental Health

  5. It is difficult to understand the difference between ‘feeling depressed’ and clinical depression unless you have felt it, either in yourself or in those close to you. Reactive depression is a ‘normal” part of life, where you probably know the cause, and can perhaps see some way through it, even if it doesn’t feel that way at the time. Clinical depression is very different beast.

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  6. Amen, sista. At the times I’m out and about I wonder what all the fuss was about. Whenever I ‘feel’ depressed, though, I remember exactly how overpowering the experience is.

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  7. You go, girl. Keep writing on this topic. Keep educating. Keep fighting against the stigma. Keep shining the light.

    You were absolutely right in not posting that misguided comment in full.

    As I continue to educate and enlighten on the topic of domestic abuse and violence, so you do with depression. We do what we can and hope beyond hope that our words make a difference.

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  8. Thank you so much for your post. I have a friend that has suffered from clinical depression for all of her adult life. Her mother also suffered from it. It has been very difficult for her as medication has helped at times but she was unable to cope with the side effects. It is real and is different from “feeling down.”

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  10. I can sense the passionate rage in your heart as you wrote this. This is why stigma is alive and well. We combat stigma by informing others of their misconceptions, which I think you have done beautifully here. It’s just so difficult to be patient and gentle when heartless remarks make you want to pull your hair out. The best way to illustrate this for those that don’t know (lucky them!) is to relate depression or suicide to other mental health states such as mania or euphoria or anxiety. It IS an illness because it is irrational and hinders quality of life. It IS an illness because it is a chemical difference in the brain. The way we cope can be adjusted, yes, but we can not change our mood by simply shifting our perspective. That is why it is a mood DISORDER. If whoever I’m speaking too cant wrap their head around this, I simply accept their unwillingness or inability to change. Some people truly can not understand. I whole heartedly agree with you. Thank you for writing.

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