Being Open About Depression

Share Your Stories With The World

You’d be surprised how many people suffer from depression. People who you would never expect to experience depressive symptoms, may have been suffering for years. Depression is not always how we envision: someone who appears sad, disheveled, does not talk much and appears tearful all the time. Being open about depression is something that we should all be doing.

Many depressed people do not always appear depressed: they continue to remain functional, go to work, play tennis, maintain friendships, pay the bills, etc. It’s not until they tell you face to face about their depression that it surprises you. But should it really surprise you? Mental health problems are so common that almost everyone has some experience; it’s just whether we admit it or not.

Can you imagine going through life feeling depressed, all while remaining functional in society? Nobody has a clue of how you truly feel; the worst part is that everyone probably thinks that you are happy. People thinking that you are happy is not a bad thing, but it can be when you are feeling depressed and hiding your symptoms from others.

Sharing your stories with the world can help you overcome depression; of course, you have to find the right people. But believe it or not, by sharing your stories, you can accomplish two things: you might feel better about yourself and you might discover that someone else has been going through a similar experience as you have.

When you find people to connect with about your mental health problems, it makes an entire world of a difference: you no longer feel alone and you finally feel understood. Sometimes just connecting with someone who also feels depressed or is battling another mental illness, is more effective than an antidepressant or psychotherapy!

So stop doing yourself more harm than good by hiding your depressive feelings. It’s time to be open about your depression and find a few trustworthy people who you can share your experiences with. By sharing your stories with the world rather than hiding them in the closet, you will start to feel much better about yourself.

Are you Ready? (This is Defeating Stigma Mindfully)