Depression is a serious illness that affects many people. It is so much more than just being sad or upset for a couple days. Depression is deeper. It can make a person feel hopeless, exhausted and like they cannot possibly enjoy life for an extended period of time. Unfortunately, no one ever really discusses it due to the whole stigma of mental illness thing. People say, "oh they are just weak or they are just looking for attention" meaning is a person is depressed. This is not true. Need to get rid of the stigma of depression, more awareness.
https://pixabay.com/photos/man-depressed-sitting-on-the-floor-2734073/ 
Stigma means shame or judgment. When someone is depressed, they may already feel bad about themselves. And it doesn't help when people around them don't understand or judge them. Many depress people are to ashamed to even ask for help, they think that ppl will look down on them. Some people carry their problems under the surface, where no one can see, they put on a façade like everything is okay, but they are killing themselves inside. That causes more pain, and eventually (sometimes) it can cause suicide.
The stigma attached to depression needs to go away. Depression is a medical disease, just like diabetes, and hypertension, and this is what people need to understand. It could even happen to the worlds strongest man. It does not mean that the person is weak. Life is so rough sometimes that the stress, loss or trauma becomes too much to handle for the mind.
https://pixabay.com/illustrations/woman-sitting-left-out-windows-8286277/ 
Well back to depression the first thing to do to wipe away the stigma is to just talk about it. Mental health must be a topic of conversation in the home, in the schools, in the neighborhood. And when we do say something, we make sure to tell everyone and their brother that depression is not a joking matter, and that there is nothing wrong with getting help. If we hear someone say that they are struggling, we need to be kind enough to listen to them and not judge them. A simple “How are you feeling? Or "here for you" goes a long way.
Creating awareness is another important step. Many people don’t know what depression looks like. They may think it’s just sadness or laziness. But depression can show up in different ways. Some people lose interest in things they once loved. Others might sleep too much or too little. Some will do nothing but cry, others will be like completely numb, where they can't shed a tear. Those signs need to be made availible to the public so they can recognize when others are hurting.
One way to create awareness is through social media. Today everyone has a microphone, everyone has a story, and they all spread it through the internet. If more people talk openly about their battles with depression, it helps others who are also struggling feel less alone. Knowing that others can relate may help someone feel that they are not alone and will give them the strength to ask for help. Of course schools, churches, workplaces should all have programs/seminars to educate people about mental illness.
Something else would be to spread the word that it is not ashamed to receive professional help. There is therapy, counseling, medication, all sorts of stuff, to deal with their depression. There should be no shame in reaching out to a therapist, just as there is no shame in visiting a doctor when you’re physically sick.
We are all to blame for wiping out the stigma of depression and getting the word out. It starts with understanding, kindness, and education. Because when we all help each other, we create a world in which no one is afraid to ask for help, and no one has to suffer in silence. Let's talk (in love) about mental health.
This entry was inspired by the #inleo community and my response to day 6 of the #octoberinleo