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What’s Not True About Depression Can Hurt You

May 15, 2012 Amie Merz, LPC, NCC

We believe many myths that are not true about depression. Here's a list of depression myths that you need to know. Fight depression stigma with truth.

There are lots of myths about depression that are not true. The untrue depression stories bring shame to people living with this serious mental health condition, and it prevents those who may need it most from getting the depression treatment they need. Here are just a few myths that are not true about depression.

Non-Truths About Depression

Myth: It just takes will power to get over depression.
Myth: Sleeping will make depression better.
Myth: If you feel better, it’s ok to stop taking your medicine.
Myth: Depression will go away on its own.
Myth: If someone attempts suicide they won’t attempt it again.
Myth: Everyone’s depression is the same.
Myth: Depression is always caused by something that happened.
Myth: Everyone with depression needs medication.
Myth: Alcohol helps to relieve depression.
Myth: Depression does not run in families.
Myth: There is only one way to treat depression.
Myth: If someone you know is depressed leave them alone and they will get over it.
Myth: It is easy for your doctor to tell if you are depressed
Myth: Counseling doesn’t help.
Myth: Diet and exercise have no impact on depression.
Myth: If you are depressed it will be obvious to others.
Myth: People can always tell if someone is suicidal.
Myth: There is a blood test to determine if someone has depression.

Sometimes people make assumptions about depression that keep them from getting help or helping others. Depression is not simple, or a one size fits all type of illness. Help us get the word out and debunk the myths about depression (get in-depth trusted depression information.)

APA Reference
Merz, A. (2012, May 15). What’s Not True About Depression Can Hurt You, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2024, March 28 from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/copingwithdepression/2012/05/whats-not-true-about-depression



Author: Amie Merz, LPC, NCC

Em
May, 20 2016 at 9:07 pm

My depression is mild but lately I've been worried about it getting worse. Lately I've noticed I've spent more time alone, I've been isolating myself from my family for months without realizing it. I've been holding everything in for years now, only release being me crying every night until I fall asleep. I can't find the motivation for anything. I just go through my everyday routine and I do my best to do my online work but it's getting harder everyday. I just feel very lost. I feel stuck, and alone and only just admitted to myself I had depression recently. So I don't know, talking doesn't help. I don't know. What can I do to get my hope and motivation back? I've never felt so out of control and that's what scares me the most, I've always had everything under control and now it's like I can't find anything to hold onto.

Emily
June, 8 2012 at 1:57 pm

Actually, most depressions will go away on their own, eventually. Unless you have dysthymia. You may not like how long it takes, and your life may fall apart in the meantime if you get depressed enough, but depression is generally episodic in nature and will eventually go away. Some people have repeated depressions throughout their lives, while many have just 1 or a small number of them. It tends to come back more often in people treated with drugs as opposed to therapy. And some people can stop taking their medicine once they feel better. How long to stay on them is still an unknown, and probably needs to be determined on a case by case basis.

Dr Musli Ferati
May, 18 2012 at 7:42 pm

Amid Your eighteen clever observation on public mistakes toward depression, as most frequent and hidden mental disorder, the eight one deserve special comment. Depression as psychiatric entity, with all its clinical and paraclinical criteria should to be treated on the current psychiatric recommendation. The main therapeutic approaching is psychopharmacologic intervention, particulary, in its acute phase. If, we discuss for depression as mood state, the the issue underlines another course. Depression state of mood may to be as reactive or accidental emotional response to respective person with temporary hardness in accomplishment of daily demands. In these and others unpleasant feeling, it is possible to undertake some psycho-social activities that would improve our desperate psychic condition, without medication.

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

May, 31 2012 at 4:44 pm

Thank you for your thoughtful response.

irene
May, 17 2012 at 7:13 pm

The myth about leaving someone alone and that the depression will go away is one that I seem to be fighting right now. I have prgressively moved from mildly depressed to severly depressed over the past few weeks. There are those in my life who are totally ignoring the pain that I am experiencing. Being left alone by others only encourages me to isolate more which means that I cry easier and stay in bed for hours on end. I would love for someone to say that they would love for me to spend the night so that I don't have to be alone, but I think they are scared of what they don't know. So I am exhaustively surving each day by going through the motions and feeling worse with each 24 hours.

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

May, 31 2012 at 4:46 pm

Sometimes there are people who want to help but have no idea how. If they knew just sitting with you is enough at times, they might jump at the chance. Hang in there, and thank you for the comment.

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