A.K.A. THINGS I MIGHT HAVE SAID TO SOMEONE WITH DEPRESSION (BEFORE I’D EXPERIENCED IT MYSELF)

Many of these comments were said to me during my depression. Many of them, I actually told myself. They were not helpful in any way, shape, or form. They were also not true, and revealed just how poorly I understood mental illness. My poor understanding stemmed from never having been taught about it. As a child or an adult, I had never heard people talk of it. I had never been part of a discussion where people had described their experiences. I did not know how common it was, what to expect, what symptoms to look out for, or what treatment might involve. I felt the same shame that had caused others to hide their experiences. The same shame that ultimately lead to my own poor understanding of depression and other mental illnesses.

I told myself…

1. That I should snap out of this.
2. That I had no reason to feel sad – there was so much good stuff in my life.
3. I should try to distract myself.
4. That this was the result of my own weakness.
5. This was sooooooooo embarrassing.
6. I didn’t need medicine; I just needed to stop thinking so negatively.
7. I really should snap out of this.
8. Try to think positively.
9. Everyone gets sad sometimes, but not everyone lets it get to them.
10. No one ever died from feeling sad.
11. For goodness sake, snap out of this.