No shame in depression - seek help

Recently I encouraged David to take advantage of the psychologist services available to him to engage in counseling about what's been happening at his work (long story there - discrimination thing). He has in the past resisted such suggestions but this time seemed particularly affected by events. On this occasion, although only after being directed there by other medical professionals, he did decide to try counseling.

My neighbour is a different story. Big burly bloke he is, but he's depressed as anything. But at the mere thought of seeing someone about it is like some kind of a challenge to his manliness, and he absolutely refuses. Unfortunately he appears to be showing the self destructive signs, that are all so common when someone's life turns to shit because they're not dealing with their depression.

Myself, I'd not be here today had it not been for the intervention of medical and psychological people in our health system here. I'm still seeing the same psychologist that took charge after I was diagnosed with HIV.

I would encourage anyone reading this to get some kind of treatment if this sort of depression is a problem. Don't beat yourself up over it, or feel any guilt about it. It's not a sign of weakness or having a character flaw. Depression is an illness that can be treated. Why suffer needlessly? Coming to terms with these things is the first step towards getting help.

Depression can strike anyone, from the mega rich to the mega poor. Someone may be at the pinnacle of their career, their entire life a success story, yet they can still suffer from depression. There's no shame in suffering such a condition. It's simply part of being human:

Get the message 

For nearly 15 years, licensed social worker Mark M.’s narrative was one of shame and inadequacy because he couldn’t just “get over” his depression. Diagnosed in college with major depression and generalized anxiety disorder, he says he was too embarrassed, stubborn and afraid to accept the diagnosis and get help. 

“There’s powerful internal pressure for men to be perfect,” reflects Mark, 43, who lives in Minneapolis. “Guilt and a sense of worthlessness conflict with the ‘Marlboro man’ image.” 

Meanwhile, he ended up in the ER with what felt like a heart attack, lost a top counseling job in a health care network, performed poorly at another job, quit playing sports with friends, and neglected his wife and three young children. 

His unwillingness to seek treatment, coupled with alcohol abuse as he tried to self-medicate, compromised his career and relationships. 

“Self-stigma gave me an ingrained sense of failure,” Mark says of the days before he understood that his drinking and other problems linked back to his depression. 

It wasn’t until he hit rock-bottom and landed in a psychiatric hospital that Mark finally got the help he needed to see that having depression wasn’t his fault and did not make him a bad person. Once he began to accept depression as an illness, not an indictment of character, he started on medication and entered psychotherapy. 

“(Depression’s) ‘normalization’ helped me,” says Mark. “I realized that on the journey of life, depression can just happen—to adolescents, seniors, anyone.” more