5 Common Misconceptions About Depression
How much do you know about depression?
Chances are, you’ve heard of depression, since it’s one of the more well-known mental health diagnoses out there. Mental health information is becoming easier to access than ever, and with that, more and more people are starting to recognize signs and symptoms of common disorders.
However, due to the way information spreads on social media, along with the cultural stigma toward mental health, there’s also a lot of misinformation out there to sift through. It can be hard to tell what’s true and what isn’t about mental health conditions like depression.
Why is it important to clear up misconceptions about depression?
The reason people are so concerned about awareness and education regarding mental health is that understanding mental health conditions makes them easier to recognize and treat.
Depression is incredibly common. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, about 5% of adults worldwide have depression. It’s likely that you or someone you love will deal with a mental health disorder like depression at some point, and being able to separate fact from fiction can make dealing with it less frightening.
There’s a lot of misinformation out there about depression. Here are 5 common misconceptions that we hear about depression:
Misconception 1: Depression is the same as being sad
As therapists, we hear “It’s not that bad,” all the time. But sometimes, it is that bad! If you’re dealing with a mental health condition like depression, it’s okay to recognize that something is off and it’s not just run of the mill sadness. While part of being depressed can certainly include feeling sad or having a low mood, there’s more to it than that.
Depression is a mental health condition that is more than just feeling sad or blue. To be diagnosed with depression, a person must experience 5 or more depressive symptoms, including depressed mood or loss of interest/pleasure, for a period of 2 weeks or longer. The symptoms must cause the person significant distress or impairment, meaning it's impacting their everyday life. While scientists still aren’t certain about the exact cause of depression, it often has to do with chemical imbalances in the brain which make it physically harder for your brain to feel “normal”.
There are also different types of depression. Major Depressive Disorder, Minor Depressive Disorder, Seasonal Affective Disorder, and Dysthymia (or Persistent Depressive Disorder), which all have slightly different criteria for diagnosis. To be diagnosed with one of these types of depression, you will need to meet the criteria set out in the DSM-V (the diagnostic manual for mental health) for each disorder.
Misconception 2: Depression is a choice
Depression is not something that people choose to feel. It’s an incredibly distressing and overwhelming disorder that impacts every aspect of your life. If you’re dealing with depression, it doesn’t mean that something is wrong with you or that you are choosing to feel this way. The cause of depression isn’t exact, but it often has a genetic component, and depression causes physiological changes in the brain.
Some people may think of depression as being a choice because they’ve seen people with depression act happy or engaged. Often, people with depression get used to managing their symptoms after dealing with it for a long time. Someone with depression might not seem completely down all the time, but having moments of joy and pleasure doesn’t mean that a person isn’t dealing with a mental health disorder.
Misconception 3: Depression makes you weak
The idea that depression (or mental illness in general) makes you weak is a result of the stigma toward mental illness in our culture. Having depression doesn’t make you weak, or less than, or screwed up. Having depression is one of the variations that come with having a human brain, not a sign of weak character or some other inner flaw.
In fact, people who deal with depression are often incredibly strong. Dealing with a mental health condition day in and day out is incredibly taxing, and can result in folks becoming more resilient over time.
Misconception 4: Talking about depression makes it worse
Sometimes people avoid talking about mental health disorders like depression because they’re afraid discussing them will make things worse. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Talking about depression can actually make people feel less alone and more understood.
Discussing depression can also help people feel more comfortable finding treatment. It’s really hard to recover from depression without outside help, so anything that makes people feel more comfortable seeking treatment is a good thing.
Misconception 5: Depression lasts forever
Depression can be serious, but it is also generally very treatable. There are a variety of different approaches for treatment, including medication and psychotherapy. If one approach doesn’t have the desired effect, you can try another until you find something that works better for you. Because it’s so common, many clinicians have extensive experience helping individuals dealing with depression, so it’s fairly simple to find a therapist who can help you if you’re struggling.
Depression can be a disorder that people deal with for long periods of time, but that doesn’t mean that it has to last forever. The approaches to treatment that providers utilize can help you feel more like your old self again, so you can actually do the things you want to do, and enjoy them.
Our therapists at Anchor Counseling New York are experienced in treating many mental health disorders, including depression. Our therapists are accepting new clients - schedule an appointment today to get started.
