Well said Lancy!
Depression is so difficult to understand for those who have not been touched by it – yet 1 in 4 people (yes, that’s 25% of the population) will be directly affected by mental health issues at some point in their life.
That’s every 4th person we work with, in our family, in the street, at the supermarket ….
The word “depression” is over-used ( and very inaccurately) to mean “fed up”.
Contrary to what we read in the media, depression does not follow a bad football result or a weight-gain of 2lb.
It is an all-consuming pit, a field of sinking sand, a quagmire sucking a person in.
A word of sympathy, a kind thought, a helping hand can make a difference, however small, but let’s not pretend that they are the solution. Someone suffering from depression cannot “pull themselves together” or just think happy thoughts.
As Lucy says, just because we cannot see it does not mean it does not exist. It is as real and potentially harmful as say diabetes and equally, it can strike anybody, regardless of lifestyle or genes.
Can we show more empathy and compassion and lessen the burden carried by sufferers?