{"id":392,"date":"2020-12-03T19:01:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-03T19:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hertimeromania.wordpress.com\/?p=392"},"modified":"2023-11-30T01:02:45","modified_gmt":"2023-11-30T01:02:45","slug":"5-lucruri-pe-care-nu-ti-le-a-spus-nimeni-despre-depresie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hertimeromania.com\/en\/5-lucruri-pe-care-nu-ti-le-a-spus-nimeni-despre-depresie\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Things No One Told You About Depression (Until)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Illustration: Diana Vi\u0219inescu<\/h6>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Text: Adina Apetrei<\/h6>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Content Warning: Suicide and Death, Depression<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This article is not a medical resource, but is based solely on personal experience and the texts cited below. If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental illness, do not hesitate to contact a specialist, a helpline such as 0800 801 200, (antisuicid.ro), or, if there is immediate danger, the emergency number 112.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

According to WHO<\/a>, approximately 264 million people suffer from depression. To put the number in perspective, that's about 3.385% of the planet's population, so about 1 in 33, assuming every affected person is also diagnosed. That might not sound like much, but think about how much it means compared to how many friends you have on Facebook, how many people you follow on Instagram, or how many classmates you graduated high school with. Now it's getting serious.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Mental health has become less of a taboo subject in recent years. Celebrities open up about their mental health issues on social media, activism platforms encourage people with depression to seek help when they need it. Even so, since this topic is not covered at all in schools, we happen to find ourselves searching for information on the Internet, delving into a spiral of emergency numbers, statistics and impossible to understand scientific explanations related to depression. If you're documenting yourself on this topic, then you're probably asking yourself, "is there something wrong with me, too?". I've come to a very important point, and I say this from experience:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Having a mental health condition doesn't mean there's something wrong with you, any more than breaking your leg does. It just means you need time and help to recover.<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Now, on to the five things no one told you about depression.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

1. You can have an objectively good life and still be depressed.<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

One of the most common myths is that only a deeply traumatic event can trigger depression, such as the loss of a loved one, suffering from a physical illness, or not having the certainty of tomorrow. While all of these examples (and many others, for that matter) are perfectly legitimate reasons, everyone reacts differently to the things that happen to them. Having a roof over your head and a stable job is essential, but it doesn't automatically mean you'll be happy. There are many other factors to consider, such as not living up to your own expectations, high stress levels, lack of deep relationships and emotional support, and many more, including genetic predispositions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

2. Depression lies to you.<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

And he does it very well.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

A sentence often said when it comes to mental health: "but it's only in your head". Yes, it is, and that's exactly why it can be so difficult not only to identify it, but also to fight against it. The brain is the center of consciousness and knowledge and dictates your feelings, thoughts, desires, even actions. That being said, it's clear that depression can distort your perspective on yourself and the world around you. It can cause feelings of hopelessness, lack of self-esteem, lack of motivation and more (source<\/a>). Moreover, it even happens that affected people consider themselves lazy, antisocial or even not worth living. In addition to not being true, these ideas can lead to a loss of self-confidence, which only makes the situation even more difficult.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In addition, it is a vicious circle: it convinces you to voluntarily give up happiness because you feel that you "don't deserve it". Maybe you've been studying hard for months to prepare for an exam, and you've been putting off the things you enjoy as a reward when you succeed. Sounds familiar? It doesn't seem too bad, because you will do them someday. However, when you get to that point, you may notice that the desire is gone. Denying yourself a small moment of joy, especially when you're under pressure, won't necessarily increase your productivity, and in fact, it'll make it harder to regain your happiness in the long run.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

3. Depression doesn't always mean you're so sad you want to end your life.<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Of course, suicide is frequently associated with depression. However, this does not mean that it is a mandatory trend if you suffer from this condition. If we look at the biochemical processes that occur in depression, it cannot be overlooked that everyone is different, bodies are different, so we will react differently to change. Some reactions are well documented and somewhat more obvious, but others are easy to ignore: sleep problems, loss of appetite, fatigue, lack of energy (source<\/a>).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Remember: the fact that the symptoms are milder does not mean that the depression is less valid.<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

4. Others may notice it before you do.<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

When you're in such a spiral, it can be difficult to properly assess your condition. Therefore, it is more likely that your loved ones will notice that you are in a difficult time. Maybe you behave differently, you don't call them as often as you used to, you don't tell them about the interesting things in your life anymore, or you seem distracted all the time.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It is important to talk to people in your close circle if you have the impression that they are not feeling well. Even though they may not tell you directly what the problem is, it helps to know that they are not alone and that you are there for them. Early recognition of the symptoms of depression can not only prevent more dangerous consequences, but also facilitate the healing process.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

5. Asking for help feels like removing a stone from your heart.<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It feels that way because that's exactly what it is. Whether you talk to a close friend, a relative, or seek qualified help from a psychiatrist or psychologist, taking the first step towards change and having someone to support you makes all the difference. It can be difficult to tell those close to you that you suffer from depression, you may not want them to worry, but they may have already noticed and worry anyway. Talking about how you feel can also lighten your burden and improve your relationship. There is still a stigma surrounding mental health, especially in older generations, which can be challenging. Even if your parents "don't believe in therapy" or its benefits, don't let other people's perceptions stop you from healing.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If you are not ready to tell those around you what you are going through, you can get in touch with an anonymous phone or chat service, created especially for such moments. Operators are specially trained to help you get through a difficult time, no matter what it is. If you or someone you know is or is in immediate danger, do not hesitate to contact the emergency services (112).<\/strong> It is very important to have someone to make sure you are safe, especially when you are feeling overwhelmed by what is happening to you.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

You can find more simple, easy to understand and shareable resources below <\/em>here<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Although mental health is becoming an increasingly common topic, there are some things that are less talked about but that you need to know.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":452,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-392","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articole","category-opinii"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hertimeromania.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/392","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hertimeromania.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hertimeromania.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hertimeromania.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hertimeromania.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=392"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/hertimeromania.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/392\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5577,"href":"https:\/\/hertimeromania.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/392\/revisions\/5577"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hertimeromania.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/452"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hertimeromania.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=392"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hertimeromania.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=392"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hertimeromania.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}