Depression Lies: Why It’s So Important You Know That

There are two types of depression lies. The lies about depression and the lies depression tells you. Both types of depression lies can have a big impact on the person with depression.

Let’s start with lies about depression. These lies can be hurtful and damaging as they distort what depression really is and lead to a misunderstanding of depression, the seriousness of this mental illness and its treatment. Here is one lie: “You are depressed because you are sad. If you do something that makes you happy, then you won’t be depressed anymore.” Despite this popular understanding of what depression is and what causes depression, it’s not the truth. You can read about major depression here.

Depression Lies

There are many other lies about depression that can lead people astray and keep them from getting the professional help they need.

Common lies about depression include:

If you try hard enough to make yourself happy, your depression will just go away.

Depression is a legitimate and diagnosable disorder that millions of people suffer from. If it were as simple as trying hard to be happy and make the depression just disappear, then there wouldn’t be a need to treat depression as a psychiatric disorder. Depression is influenced by a chemical imbalance in the brain, so to consider it a simple disorder that only requires effort to be happy is unreasonable.

If you are depressed that means you are crazy and cannot be trusted.

While we have made great progress with spreading awareness about mental health and depression, there are still people out there who believe that mental illness is the same as being crazy. To be clear, there is no mental health disorder that causes craziness. Depression does not mean someone is crazy and does not mean that he or she is dangerous.

Doctors are puppets of the pharmaceutical companies who only want to get you on antidepressant medication so they can make tons of money off you.

This depression lie is actually dangerous because it keeps people who need depression treatment from getting the help they desperately want and need. In reality, pharmaceutical companies do not dictate what your doctor does. In addition, at least in the United States, there are rules and laws in place which keep the pharmaceutical companies from unduly influencing doctors to prescribe their specific medication.

Years and years of clinical studies have shown that the best treatment for depression is a combination of therapy and antidepressant medication.

Lies Depression Tells You

Now there are the lies that depression tells you. How can depression lie to you? Constant, sometimes obsessive, negative thinking accompanies depression. In fact, it’s a hallmark symptom of depression. Maybe you’ve experienced these dangerous depression lies yourself.

You don’t matter.

When you are depressed, the depression will cause you to think and feel many unsafe and untrue thoughts. As the depression increases in severity, it will cause thoughts and feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness and these thoughts will be considered as “truths”. You come to feel like you don’t matter. Of course, this is not true. You matter and there are people who care about you and want to support you.

You are hopeless.

When you are depressed, you feel like you are hopeless and that you will never feel better or recover from the oppressive symptoms of depression. Depression may make you feel this way, but it is not true. The reality is that many people who receive professional treatment for depression do feel better and find significant relief from their depression symptoms. You can too, but you have to take the first step in asking for help. Consider asking a mental health professional or a trusted friend or family member for support while you take the first step toward getting treatment and recovery.

You are a burden to your friends and family.

Family members and friends may not be educated in mental health or depression and are at a loss on what they can do to help. It can be hard for people to empathize with you when they have never felt depressed themselves, but it is important to not mistake misunderstanding with disinterest in supporting you. Depression is not a burdensome disorder, and you are not a burden if you reach out for help and support. It is okay to seek support from friends and family when you are ill and while you are getting the treatment and help you need to feel better and recover from depression.

Why are these depression lies so dangerous? If your depression is telling you that you don’t matter, that there’s no hope in getting better and that you are a burden to those you care about most in your life, then the next lie depression tells you may be: “You are better off dead.” This is why the risk of suicide in so high in people with undiagnosed and untreated depression. The sooner a person with depression gets professional help and treatment, the lower the risk of suicide.

article references