The Many Faces of Depression
It’s important for you to know depression has many faces. Many of us find it difficult to even consider the notion of having a “mental illness”. The stigma about mental illness problems still exists despite the popularity of shows like Dr. Phil and the inclusion of characters dealing with mental health issues in our Thursday night sitcom lineup (This Is Us, Homeland, etc.). Mental illness is something that “other folks” have to deal with not me and you. Until one day it is “me and you”.
Mental illness is just like any other kind of physical illness, there are biological, psychological, emotional, social, and spiritual components to it. Mental illnesses like depression can be debilitating and in some cases deadly. Most of the time, people don’t come to see someone like me until they just can’t take it anymore; their lives have become so unbearable or they are so unhappy that they just don’t want to “do this anymore”. That’s what I hear most often, “I just don’t want to do this anymore”.