• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Mental Health Resources
    • Depression Resources
  • Blog
    • Coping
    • Medication
    • Self Care
    • Stress and Anxiety
    • Unhelpful thinking
      • Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda
      • Fortune-Telling
      • Guilt and Shame
      • Time Travel
    • Sleep Issues
    • Depression
    • Covid19
    • Suicide & Self-Harm
    • Wellness Tools
      • SMART – Self Management And Recovery Training
      • WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan)
      • Change Triangle
  • Contact
  • SHOP

Turnaround
You are here: Home / What depression has cost me / I’m afraid to tell you this

I’m afraid to tell you this

May 11, 2019 by Depression Is Not My Boss Leave a Comment

People should be able to have Depression without adding the fear of being labeled.

Depression creates unhelpful thinking patterns that feed into our culture’s stigma about mental health issues. Feeling the need to be guarded about our condition only gives depression a stronger grip. I know, I have spent most of my life denying I have depression and hiding it from even myself.

A person should be able to talk to a therapist without fear that they will “say the wrong thing” and then be automatically committed. People who seek help do not always get the best advice. As children, we asked our playmates where babies came from. Storks were the standard answer. People seeking help with mental health issues often start with “stork” stories instead of the true facts.

Seeking help for a mental health issue is incredibly difficult. For me, it was only when the remaining options were even more frightening, that I sought professional help for my depression. Yet, if I had a complaint of back pain, I would be able to mention that to family or friends without fear that I would be judged or committed. They would relate their success stories with treatment or let me know what to avoid. No big deal.

My experience is that the stigma of mental health issues keeps many from seeking help. Despite societies efforts to change the culture, I felt the best course of action for me was to hide my depression. I was so successful, at least in my mind, at hiding it that I did not even allow myself to name it. As each down cycle would begin, I was focused solely on finding a way out without letting anyone see.

Speaking out now, saying “I have depression, depression doesn’t have me,” is not without risk. I know there is support for my position, but there will be misunderstandings, too. As with my decision to seek professional help with depression, I am driven only because the alternatives are much more frightening.

Continuing to do the same thing, expecting different results finally became undefendable to me. It supported my depression, giving me false hope that this time it would be different, that this time doing the same thing would create a different result. Boy, you think depression is your friend, and then it pushes you up against the same wall. It has you alone, vulnerable and stuck in all or nothing thinking that eventually reduces your options to zero.

As I begin to face my depression with professional support, I am past whether anyone is labeling me. Ok, I still think about it a bit, but I am going forward anyway. Professionals are telling me they are proud of me for seeking treatment. My first thought is to minimalize this, but that is what my depression wants me to do. So, I accept their compliments as I move towards a better understanding of my depression and how I can loosen its grip.

What are your thoughts on how society views mental health issues? Your comments are encouraged.

Filed Under: What depression has cost me Tagged With: concerns, depression, despair, grace, grief, hope, life, lifestyle

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

I write My Concealed Depression to create Mental Health AwarenessHello, I am Joel. I have Major Depressive Disorder. As I meet others with mental illness, they often tell me they feel alone.

With 40+ years of living with concealed depression, I write my blog to let others know you are not alone. Others are going through the same things.

And I write to share what I am learning so you and I can lead a balanced life.

https://myconcealeddepression.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/my-concealed-depression-intro.mp4
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

More to See

The startling truth about coping statements for anxiety and depression

The Startling Truth About Coping Statements For Anxiety and Depression

October 28, 2020 By Depression Is Not My Boss

My 101 Coping Strategies for Anxiety

My 101 Best Coping Statements For Anxiety and Depression

October 18, 2020 By Depression Is Not My Boss

Shouldn’t I be Excited About Traveling to Peru? (Part 1 & 2)

October 1, 2023 By Depression Is Not My Boss

September marks #SuicidePreventionMonth

September 19, 2023 By Depression Is Not My Boss

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

You Never Pay More, Yet Clicking These Links And Making a Purchase Helps Fund My Blog

PureFormulas.com-Pure Healthy Goodness, Highest-Grade Natural Supplements! Fast, Free Shipping!
Mosaic 250x250
Blog Meets Brand
Best Self Improvement & Personal Development Blogs - OnToplist.com
RSS Search

Blog posts that go back to my 5 East time over 4 years ago

  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019

Footer

Contact

Email:  my.concealed.depression@gmail.com

Privacy Policy

Recent

  • Can I stay Focused?
  • Shouldn’t I be Excited About Traveling to Peru? (Part 1 & 2)
  • September marks #SuicidePreventionMonth
  • Is Being Too Busy to Write a Good Thing?
  • What Would Make Me the Happiest?

Search

Products

  • The Six Second Cover Letter™ $19.99
  • 10 Page Gratitude Coloring Pages $14.99
  • 5 gratitude coloring pages from my concealed depression to help reduce anxiety and depression Five - Gratitude Coloring Pages $9.99
  • The One Secret That Lands Your Dream Job[Course]
  • Write This Down, You'll Need It Later[Amazon]

© Copyright 2020 · My Concealed Depression · All Rights Reserved · Designed by The Marketing Momma