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Real Talk-Depression
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Real Talk-Depression
Real Talk-Depression
Ok, so, can i rant here for a minute here? Yeah? No? eh idc imma rant anyway.
So, one thing that frustrates me to no end is when people use the term depressed in place of sad.
Sadness and depression are two totally different things and need to be treated as such.
Depression is a serious and real mental disorder that a lot fewer people actually have than those who say they are depressed. Most people who have depression, including myself, do not want to have much, if any, social interaction. They often have a problem with physical contact with other people. They will not have much emotion at all, and will usually not show any emotion that they do have. They are perpetually tired, no matter how much sleep they got.
Sadness is an emotion all people have, and it's just a feeling of loss or overall being down.
So, please, don't say you're depressed when what you mean is down or sad.
Now, if you think you actually have depression, then please, get some help. It isn't an easy thing to live with, and having people to support you can be very helpful.
Sorry for the rant, but I've just been very annoyed by people using the words sadness and depression in the same context. People never take me seriously when i say i'm depressed, and just pin it as teenage moodiness. So, anyway, bye. [awkward wave]
submitted by Nighthawk , age -14, Sleep Deprivation Land
(January 11, 2018 - 9:26 pm)
(January 11, 2018 - 9:26 pm)
I completly get what you mean, and for the most part I agree. When talking about the medical term, it isn't nice to say that you have it. But the word ' depressed' can also mean "sad and gloomy, dejected, and downcast". It actually is a synonym for the word 'sad'. Synonyms also include 'unhappy', 'miserable', and 'gloomy'. The word doesn't only apply to the mental illness, and I think it can be used in different ways. For example (though in a different tense): That was depressing.
I just wanted to make that point, that I think the word can be used in relatively the same context as sadness, but not 'depression' with the medical connotation. And depression should be taken seriously, of course.
The medical diagnosis may be indicated by the term "clinical depression." I'm not sure, but I've heard that term used.
Admin
(January 11, 2018 - 10:10 pm)
(January 12, 2018 - 2:32 pm)
Nighthawk, I agree, to an extent. I would hold in mind what qwerty and the Admin said, about dictionary definitions, but I completely understand what you mean.
(January 12, 2018 - 2:49 pm)
qwerty is correct, and beat me to it - the disorder clinical depression was named after the word depression, which is a perfectly reasonable word to use in the proper context. However, I also understand exactly what you mean. Many people - including kids our age - will use the medical version of depression as an adjective - as well as other things, such as gay or autistic. That, I agree, is not okay, and the people who speak that way do need to be reminded of this, so thank you, Nighthawk.
(January 12, 2018 - 8:41 pm)
I, too, agree with what's been said. However, St.: I don't think your analogy is quite accurate. The thing with calling things gay or autistic is that it's at its basest very rude speech, while the problem addressed here (improper usage of mental illness terms) is one of watering down language and thus making it harder for people suffering from mental illness (such as ADD, ADHD, OCD, depression, anxiety, disorders with psychosis as a symptom, etc) to be taken seriously and get treatment due to people trivializing the disorders (e.g., someone calling a classmate OCD for preferring to be organized or someone calling themselves """psycho""" (I could go on a full extra paragraph of rant on this but won't) for being middle-school-edgy™).
(January 13, 2018 - 1:06 pm)
Maybe you live in a different school environment than me? I hear phrases like this all the time:
"You're so gay!"
"That's autistic."
"Are you depressed or something?"
All in the same category, if you see what I mean.
(January 13, 2018 - 5:00 pm)
Oof yeah there's a blur there I guess
I've heard the first two but not the last one except in the context of misconstruing the seriousness of mental illness ouch I. Did Not Know that people used "depressed" as an insult
(January 13, 2018 - 8:54 pm)
Kids I know call people, "Down" as in Down Sydrome. I hate that. it's an insult to Down people.
(January 13, 2018 - 9:44 pm)
Thanks. I have friends who constantly use the words "depression", "retarded" and "triggered" without knowing their true meaning, and with out thinking about others before they say it. I tell them again and again not to use those words because what they are trying to say doesn't have anything to do with the words they use. I don't care if "everyone does it" or "it's funny", I think it needs to stop. Sorry for that small rant.
(January 13, 2018 - 9:43 pm)
Yeah, I've also been really rather annoyed when people do it just to be dramatic. There is a bit of a blur between what they actually mean and what people use them for.
I think some people 'pin it down as teenage moodines' because SO MANY PEOLE SAY THEY ARE DEPRESSED THAT ACTUALLY AREN'T that the word becomes linked with "I'm down right now and being melodramatic"
On another note, I never knew you were suffering from depression. I'm... you know what, I personally have never had depression, so I can't say that I understand exactly how it feels, and I don't want to say that I am sorry for you, because I feel like that would just come off as thinking you have an evil disease...... I hope you're.... recovering? Anything I say just sounds like... ugh. Nevermind. Thank you for illuminating me. =)
(January 14, 2018 - 4:25 pm)
@Everyone-I understand and appreciate all of your opinions. Thank you for taking your time for commenting. Apologies for my previous rant-it was after a particularly frustrating and hurtful session with my therapist.
@LilyPad-Yeah I know exactly what you mean. I'm sorry you have to deal with that :/
@Chinchilla-Exactly! Before i was diagnosed, I had talked to a few people about it and everyone just told me it was hormones. Yeah, I tend not to discuss it, but I felt like it needed to be said. Thank you :)
(January 15, 2018 - 5:07 pm)
I totally agree with you! I even found a whole article about it.
Depression is a very personal topic for me. Not because I have it myself, but because some of my close friends have it. I sometimes have daydream-nightmares. I'm glad you got diagnosed with proper treatment.
(March 9, 2018 - 9:31 pm)