Are you depressed or just down?

Our generation doesn’t go to doctors, it googles or webMDs. We eventually do go to doctors but not unless we have diagnosed ourselves fully. So, we claim to have various ailments and diseases that sound so complicated you could find them in my dust-infused organic chemistry books. 

One such problem people claim to have is “Depression”. A condition very serious and just as misunderstood and exploited. If I were to take everyone on their face value every second person is suffering from depression. And yes, the number has increased significantly. But people throw this term around very casually. I have too. Until I actually suffered from “clinical depression”. I did not realize how serious it was. Earlier, if I were a little down or sad, I would term it as depression. And what this does reduces the seriousness of the problem. If everyone is going through it how serious could it actually be?

But that is not true. Everyone isn’t going through it. Taking a quiz on the internet doesn’t give you the right to throw the word around on social media or your friend circle for more attention. It is a very serious condition that deserves to be treated that way!

Depression is like going down a black hole with no end and nothing believe me nothing can make you feel better. Simple tasks take a lot of effort. You lose interest in everything, believe me, everything. You want to do things but can’t find the motivation. You can manage to barely function so that on top of being depressed you aren’t homeless too. And no, don’t you dare say, stop being sad or get over it. If it were that easy, I wouldn’t be depressed. It can’t be cured by “going out” or “trying to forget it”. It is the reality of your life. It’s like I am walking with a bunch of clouds hanging over my head. And you can eat, shop, hang out, drink, smoke up to no extent and you still can’t fix it. (note to people, if your “depression” is cured by doing any of the following, it’s not depression)

Depression requires clinical help, and more often than not medicines to help restore the “chemical locha”, a very safe/nurturing environment (which I believe only your parents can give you at such a time), some activities to fill up your time anything, someone to talk to or vent out to (preferably a psychologist or psychiatrist) and lots and lots of time. Curing depression isn’t like taking a few medicines and you’re all better. It takes time. Sometimes you have to push yourself, and at others let yourself potate. And it will get better. You just have to be patient.

So, the next time you feel a little down, please don’t call yourself depressed. You might be using the term very liberally, but your usage is belittling the entire problem. It is a very serious problem that lots of people are struggling with. And it needs to be treated with that level of seriousness.