Depression or Attention Seeking?

‘We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses.’ - Carl Jung; Swiss Psychiatrist

We live in a callous world; a world where another man’s despondence is the headline for tomorrow; a world where a teenage girl has healing scars instead of stretch marks; a world where compliance is forced upon the frail and feeble. Among the adolescents in the United States, approximately 14% suffer from learning disabilities, 17.1 million suffer from mental illnesses (such as ADHD, anxiety, depression and schizophrenia) and yet adding to these massive numbers, a shocking estimate of over 50% of them still remain undiagnosed.

Joseph Harris, a young boy with the blithest mind - his path was halted in 2nd grade when his teacher called him “disruptive” for being a slow reader, for talking too much and at times, too little - he was a young boy with innovative ideas that were cut off. Later on, after a thorough diagnosis, it was found that Joseph suffered from dyslexia. Fortunately, his supportive mother never let him feel incompetent and cheered him throughout his life. Today, Joseph Harris is a high-schooler who continues to showcase his bright ideas - despite how slow a reader he may be. However, not everyone undergoes such support. This is a story of one - yet, there are 700 million people worldwide suffering from this - people who don’t receive such support.

Dyslexia is a learning disorder that affects our reading ability, speech sounds and their relation to letters and words. Furthermore, it causes difficulties in areas such as time management, organisation skills and stirs problems concerning memories. Globally, Dyslexia International (2017) suggests that between 5-10% of the population experience dyslexia. This is a concerning number, especially considering the fact that most are not aware of dyslexia and mistake it for educational incompetence.

Despite strenuous effort, many people misconstruct the concept of depression, another mental illness commonly faced by millions. The world fails to realize the degree of their actions; the degree of the damage. Globally, 264 million undergo depression and such a common condition, should be given the same recognition as a physical illness. However, as that is not the case, society has constructed multiple myths and misconceptions concerning depression.

“Depression is merely feeling sad, on a regular basis.” A common misconception by many about depression. There are multiple, extensive symptoms of depression - such as hopelessness, loss of appetite, self-loathing, lack of concentration and suicidal thoughts. Depression is an extremely diverse mental illness, that cannot be generalised and reduced to one key symptom.

Another common misconception is that “You’re not depressive, you’re just lazy!” According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1.9 million children have diagnosed depression. Furthermore, major depressive disorder affects approximately 17.3 million American adults! This astonishing member serves as the key refuting argument for this misunderstanding. 1.9 million children are not lazy, and neither are the 17.3 million adults. Depression is a common mental illness, and those suffering deserve to have their feelings validated.

Another statement by many is that depression is only for weak people, and those who are strong do not suffer from it. Depression is not a choice, and if it was we would surely see a much smaller statistics. Depression can come from various factors such as biological characteristics, traumatic events, and exclusion from a young age. Depression is not just handed to people as a choice on a silver platter, but is instead developed over time by a range of different factors. Those who suffer from depression have extremely severe symptoms. Symptoms that only strong people are able to deal with.

These are just a couple of misconceptions about one mental illness. The world is fluttering with misconceptions and misunderstandings about a range of mental health issues, and of other disorders. Society has quite commonly overlooked the suffering of people, and reduces it down to mere generalisations. Ostracizing and demeaning those who are strongly dealing with mental illness serves no good for the greater society. It is time to halt the labelling of mentally ill people as damaged goods, shattered pieces of glass or demolished buildings. Mental illness does not ruin people and it is certainly not an attention seeking tactic. 264,000,000 human beings don’t seek attention, but instead support.

Julie Sharrock was not weak, but rather a strong woman who had to deal with clinical depression and the isolation of a global pandemic. Today, Julie Sharrock is not among us, but her strength speaks for itself, and so can the strength of many others, if we uplift them. How can you help? Empower those around you. Their positive traits, their progress, their determination, their will. Reassure them - they are not alone. Their loneliness and sense of isolation can resonate with millions. They shouldn’t be ashamed of their insecurities and flaws. Moreover, plan an activity they will love! Focus on spending quality time with them, to ensure they feel loved and cared for. Lastly, establish a plan with them to focus on their ‘next steps’ of recovery. Dealing with such hefty emotions is not an easy task - at least, not alone. Help them untangle these emotions and stay by their side, every step of the way.

To conclude in the same way I began, I would like to quote Jung: ‘We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses.’

By Veda Varma 10A