Depression.
It’s an illness often shirked off by people who don’t understand it; a taboo subject that no one wants to touch.
But touch and understand we must—because people are suffering. They’re living in a pit of despair. They’re being washed out to sea under a surge of powerful waves. They’re being followed around by a perpetual raincloud or dragged by a formidable black dog.
The metaphors are endless, but no matter how you describe it, depression is a dark, often lonely place.
We talk a lot about overcoming the stigma of depression, and for good reason. If you’ve never experienced such an overwhelming sense of despair, it can be hard to empathize. Many of us can relate to physical pain—if a friend is suffering from chronic migraines, we try to sympathize through our experience of a headache—we can conjure up those feelings and identify with our friend’s distress, easily offering support and understanding.
But, when it comes to depression, it’s hard to find that common ground. Even if you’ve suffered loss or grief, it can be hard to fully understand the physical and psychological pain that people suffer all day, everyday.
The reality of overcoming stigma is harder than it sounds.
When a friend breaks a leg, they might require our assistance getting around, but through their injury, they still act like themselves. However, when a friend develops a major depressive disorder, it affects the very light that makes them who they are, making it emotionally draining to be a part of their care.
Still, our response should never be “suck it up”. We should never blame someone for their illness or treat it as a weakness, reserving our sympathies for those whose ailments we can see and understand.
Twenty per cent of Canadians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime. We owe it to that huge segment of our population to listen, whether we can relate or not.
Because, just like our friends and family living with cancer, those living with mental illness need our help and support.
There is no shame in living with a mental illness; there is only shame in forcing people to suffer in silence.
So, start a discussion today. If you see a friend in need, offer your ear and support them in getting the help they need.
Just like a village raises a child, a community looks out for its neighbours.
Let’s do our part.
