When you get sick with a cold or the flu, it usually lasts for about a week, maybe a little longer. During this time, you feel terrible, and you don’t feel like doing anything. You typically lay in bed and rest, and you rarely get up.
Depression is a lot like getting sick, you mentally feel terrible. You don’t feel like doing anything and all you typically do is lay in bed. The only difference is that depression can last for weeks, months, or even years. It is hard to work through depression – you try your hardest to get things done, but even little things seem like a marathon.
When I’m sick, I think it’s very similar to my depression, I can’t get up out of bed, I can’t eat, standing feels almost impossible, and you are stuck in your thoughts. I think, for me, the worst part of depression is the endless thoughts. It’s almost as if the entire world is screaming at you all at once.
It’s entirely defeating, it’s impossible to ignore.
I hear this almost everyday of my life, some days are worse, some are better. Thoughts of “you aren’t good enough,” “why did you do this,” “why are you like this,” “why can’t you be better.” I’ve learned over the years how to cope with thoughts like these, but some people can’t.
Without coping mechanisms, it’s easy to get completely overwhelmed by these thoughts to the point where they can’t do it anymore. They can’t see the light out of it. I know many of us have joked when we are sick, “I’m dying.” But for depression, it can be a slow and silent killer.
Depression affects approximately 280 million people worldwide, with one suicide occurring every 40 seconds.
It’s so hard to explain to those that have not experienced depression how difficult it is to deal with. I’ve heard so many times in my life that I should “just get over it,” “it will pass,” “just work through it.” I just want everyone to imagine someone who is dealing with the flu or a cold, would you tell that person to just get over it?
Mental illness is not something that is easily dealt with, it is not someone’s imagination, it is a real issue that is deadly if not treated properly.
It’s important that we treat mental illness like any other sickness, because it can be treated, through physical treatments, or medicinal treatments. Also, to those struggling through depression, it’s okay to not be okay. You will work through it in your own time and it’s important to just keep going, even if it seems impossible.