"Why would you submit to spending a single second of your life unhappy?" -Anonymous
I have watched five videos about depression in the last hour. Haha! I see what you get up to on a Tuesday afternoon, Steph... so enthralling.
This is something I really want to talk about because it is so completely relevant to me and the people in my life right now.
Depression is an issue. It's something that we cannot ignore but I would argue it is not as prevalent as we think it is. I would argue that anxiety will fall into . I know my opinion on this matter is not going to be received necessarily well but I would like you to hear me out for a moment. Just listen then respond to what I have said rather than what you think I am saying. Let me just try something on you for a minute.
"I have depression."
"Today I am feeling depressed."
"I have anxiety"
"I am feeling anxious right now."
These are two completely different statements. The former is a label. It is final. It is a submission to something that may not be true. I am not saying that depression and anxiety disorders do not exist. Please do not hear me saying that. Science has indeed proven that depression and anxiety disorders do exist as a chemical and hormonal imbalance. Here is an article that you can read in your own time if you would like more information on depression and anxiety. http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1991-32000-001
My argument is that in the recognition of the validity of depression and anxiety we have gotten into the habit of diagnosing ourselves as having depression and anxiety when we are really just experiencing low and hard days. And why wouldn't we? Depressed and anxious feelings are dehabilitating! If we have a diagnosis we have a cure...or at least a path to some kind of cure. We desperately want relief but in that desperation I think we are misdiagnosing the problem and in the process we are not even giving ourselves a chance to fight. We are saying things like "I suffer from chronic depression" or "I suffer from chronic anxiety." These are self-defeating statements and most of the time they are not true. What you are saying is that you are going to continue to suffer from anxiety and depression for the rest of your life and there is no light at the end of the tunnel. That paints a pretty dismal picture for your reality. That outlook probably does not help the anxiety or depression you are experiencing either. I am not going so far as to say that they are excuses...but the alternative is tough. The alternative is realizing you can get out of the pit and then making the effort to do it.
If you are rolling your eyes right now and you are already typing out a strongly worded argument to my hypothesis, can I ask why?
Why do you want to insist that you have depression or anxiety? Why would anyone want to insist they have a disorder that they cannot do anything about?
I'll bet you are thinking, "I don't want to insist I have a disorder! It's just the truth!"
To which I ask, is that a truth you are so willing to believe? People get misdiagnosed with things all the time! I'm not saying there is a giant pharmaceutical conspiracy created for pure profit (I'm not NOT saying that either). But I am saying that doctors are not always right. I am saying that how you feel today is not always an indication of a life-long diagnosis. So why would anyone want to submit to a possibly false diagnosis and decide that they are going to suffer in varying increments for the rest of their lives?
Depression and Anxiety disorders are real. But they are not as common as we think they are. I think that in the diagnosis of these disorders we should not be so willing to accept them as truth. We should treat them like we treat other disorders or diseases. We should look for second, third, and even fourth opinions. Do not accept a diagnosis because it makes a depressed or anxious DAY or FEELING easier to explain. A depressed or anxious day or feeling is a thousand times easier to bear than a depressed or anxious life.
I think I've rambled enough on this post. I wanted to say this because I know many many people who are struggling right now. Like I said in the beginning of this post, I watched five videos about depression today and all of them were posted by popular YouTubers in the past week. This is an incredibly important discussion and I wanted to add to it because I have experienced a depressed and anxious existence. I have not elaborated on that experience much. If you read my previous blog post I touch on it briefly but I don't really discuss it. I want to write next about how I got out of that state...but I'll save that for another post.
I'll leave you with this: Try instead of saying "I struggle with depression." saying "I am feeling depressed today, but I have hope that tomorrow will be better!" See how that might or might not start to change your outlook.
Stay lovely and warm!
-Steph