The Importance of Talking About Depression
It’s incredibly important to talk about mental illness in our daily lives.
Watch the video above to hear Kristen explain some of the many reasons why this is, or read the written summary below.
1. Reach out for Help
For people struggling with depression the most important reason to talk about it is to get help.
There's no shame in reaching out for help by going to a doctor or a therapist and talking to someone about your depression.
You are not alone. There are so many people going through the same thing you are going through — you can get through this.
2. End the Stigma
Sometimes when we do talk about mental illness we're labelled weak, or broken. We're labelled as anything other than normal, and it’s hard.
But the more we normalize talking about a mental health, the more stigma is broken down around it.
3. Dispel Misconceptions
Another reason to talk about depression is to clarify the pesky misconceptions surrounding it. This misinformation is sometimes why it's hard to talk about depression, so it’s important to correct those misconceptions when we hear them. We need to educate people.
4. Stop Jokes About Depression
You've probably heard people say things like, "I'm just depressed today — it's the weather," or, "I was SO depressed about it."
These comments can be very hurtful for someone who actually suffers with depression, so we need to talk about it to stop these jokes from happening.
5. Show People Mental Illness Doesn’t Define You
The last reason to talk about depression is to show that our mental illnesses don't define us. We are people before we are our mental illnesses. We are capable of anything.
There's no shame in talking about mental health. You are not worthless. You are not a waste of space. You are not all those things your head tells you. You are important and you matter.
The more we talk about mental health, the more others are going to reach out for help and see that it's okay
