In recent days the issue of depression has risen up and become a hot topic overnight but what really is depression? Depression is the feeling of immense sadness, immense in the sense that one loses the morale and strength to go on with simple daily activities and with life in general. Depression is a state of being emotionally drained and/or empty.
It is saddening to look at the way depression is portrayed in society today. Memes and stickers could be funny to everyone yet they could trigger depression. Society has made the issue of depression normalized and allowed it to lose its importance such that people suffering from depression no longer believe that their voices should be heard. About 45% of teenagers in our society today are suffering from depression and statistically, every 5 out of 12 teenagers are depressed yet, it is not known to all. This is because depression is not boldly written on the face. In fact, one of the scariest things about depression is that a depressed person could act like the happiest person ever and none would be the wiser.
Depression can be caused by a number of things ranging from familial problems relationships, financial problems to little things like the inability to fit in or belong in school, feeling insecure about one’s body, shape and/or size, etc. Depression which is very easily overlooked is one of the major causes of anxiety, eating disorders, self-harming, intentional starvation, and suicide. Yet, it is being left to rein rampant in the world. Many do not even understand the severity of the phenomenon that is depression enough to know that there are even anti-depressant drugs made available to assist affected people.
The irony in the issue of depression is as big as it may appear. The solution is easy to find but hardly ever found or done. It is simply kindness. A wise man once said; “Be kind, for everyone you meet is facing a hard battle.” A kind word and help are given can be the one thing to pull a depressed person from the slumps or change a suicidal thought from turning into action.
In conclusion, Depression is not a needy call for attention but a desperate cry for help that needs to be answered regardless of whichever race, color or gender because depression itself does not discriminate who it decides to impose itself on.
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