The Depression Dialogue

I’ve grown up in an affluent community, one where, when tragedy strikes everyone can put on a smile and rally together to raise enough money to try and make problems go away. In my town falling victim to  a disease such as cancer meant the entire community would host you a fundraiser or cook you dinner during recovery. Problems such as cancer, strokes and heart attacks were talked about frequently and casually. The community I grew up in, and I imagine like many others lacked conversation on an entire group of illnesses that may need discussion more than any other. Depression and other mental illness run rampant in every community, big or small, wealthy or poor. I grew up watching friends and family lose countless lives to suicide and overdoses, watching many others struggle to make it out of the house each day. Depression is a cancer of the mind. It manifests itself within you until you lose the sense of self you once knew so prominently. Depression can not and should not be battled alone. Why, of all the illnesses a person can be diagnosed with is the one which needs the most community support the least discussed. Why is battling depression associated with weakness when battling cancer is associated with one’s inner strength. Why is it so common to ask your neighbor or see a Facebook post about what chiropractor or dentist they recommend but never if they know a good therapist. Why is my eye doctor, dentist, general doctor and OBGYN all covered by insurance but each therapist I have tried to see was paid for out of pocket every session. At what point did we, as a society decide that our physical health was more important than our mental health, and at what point will we finally change the way we view mental illness. In order to change the way we view mental illness, including depression people need to start a dialogue, like this. Let’s say your neighbor who is your great friend and a mother of three is diagnosed with stage three breast cancer, you would encourage her to fight, get the treatment she needs and help her through her battle. What if that same neighbor is diagnosed with depression, stops showing up to work and can barely leave her house. If depression was discussed and apart of our dialogue like cancer is, you would know her struggles and most likely encourage her to fight, get the treatment she needs and help her through her battle, just like if she was diagnosed with cancer. The problem is that the way society views depression, anxiety, ocd and countless other psychological disorders leaves those who are diagnosed too ashamed and too afraid to come out and say “I was just diagnosed with depression I will need your help and support”. Depression is a disease that makes a person feel Isolated and alone, so why do we insist on adding onto that by isolating and leaving those we know who suffer from such a paralyzing disease. As a society I believe it is long over due that we start taking the mental health of ourselves and our loved ones more seriously and I believe the only way to do so is to start a discussion, one about the importance of seeking help for mental illnesses as if it were any other physical disease.