Hello, dear friends! Welcome back!

I found a post on YouTube that I really liked and want to share with you. The video is in Spanish and can be found here. Because I know that Spanish is not known to many people, I took the liberty of translating the text into English and I share it with you below.

Here is the text of the translated video, in which I also added some ideas.

Thanks to awareness campaigns on the importance of mental health in recent years, people have come to understand more and more about issues such as depression, anxiety, trauma and various mental disorders. At the same time, there is less social stigma surrounding the need for care and psychotherapy, due to the growing number of public figures who speak boldly about their own struggles with mental illness.

Even so, there is still a lot of ignorance about the true nature of depression. Although depression is the most common mental illness in the world, only those who struggle with it can truly understand it.

In this material I will tell you 10 things that only people with depression seem to really understand.

1. Difficulty communicating your emotions

In the depths of depression can be complex emotions such as sadness, hopelessness, helplessness, anger, fear, shame and guilt.

In addition, depression can manifest itself as an endless feeling of numbness and emotional desolation. In which case, putting your feelings into words and communicating them to others is a constant struggle. Especially when your loved ones are constantly asking you how you feel or how you are doing, suspecting that something is wrong with you.

When you’re in the throes of depression, you just don’t know what or how to tell them.

2. Guilt for not having a “good reason” to be depressed

“But why are you depressed?”

“Is there a reason for your depression?”

Are you familiar with these questions?

Perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of having depression is the pain of not being understood, being misunderstood or judged.

Should depression always have a good reason? Or a tangible reason?

Although you know that depression affects people of all ages, genders, races, classes, and social backgrounds, you still can’t help but feel guilty when others judge you by saying or believing that you have no good reason to be depressed.

3. Anger when you are constantly told “I understand”

Another thing that is not talked about enough when it comes to depression is how frustrating it can be to be constantly told “I understand”. Sometimes all you want to do is tell them that if they themselves haven’t been diagnosed with depression or haven’t been in your mind, then no, they really can’t understand what you’re going through.

Even we, psychotherapists, understand depression indirectly, if we have not gone through it ourselves.

Just because they felt really sad in the past or something terrible happened to them, this doesn’t mean they know what it’s like to have clinical depression.

4. The pain of losing love and passion for life

How long has it been since you took a brush to draw something or hummed a song?

A defining feature of clinical depression is a significant decrease in interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities.

In short, this means that when you are depressed, it is difficult to find joy or pleasure, even in hobbies and activities that you once loved very much.

Depression makes you lose your passion for life. It makes you stop feeling motivated, it robs you of even the simplest pleasures in life.

5 The frustration of not being able to get out of it

Were you told that a few days of rest and relaxation can cure depression?

One of the many reasons why depression is a devastating mental illness is that many people do not understand its true nature.

They believe that people who are depressed can get out of depression very easily or that they simply need to think more positively. But no, there’s no switch for that. Your emotional pain is as real as your physicall pain . And you don’t have to feel different just because others don’t feel the same way.

6. The compulsive desire to isolate yourself

Experts insist on the need for those struggling with depression to have a good social support system. But even though you understand the need to be surrounded by your loved ones, by the people who support you, the truth is that when you feel down you will most likely feel a compulsive desire to isolate yourself from others.

Without the energy or motivation to participate in social interactions, you tend to prefer isolation. In turn, the constant difficulty of communicating and finding pleasure in simple things leads to low self-esteem and the impression that you have no value.

Talking to people and keeping in touch with them may be helpful, but it can often be overwhelming when dealing with depression. This aspect can trigger the need to withdraw from society.

7. People think that depression is the same as sadness

Sadness is part of a healthy spectrum of human emotions. In fact, it is quite normal to feel it from time to time. Depression, on the other hand, is a serious and debilitating mental illness that needs to be treated with specialist help.

Depression and sadness are not the same thing, and yet some people do not seem to understand the difference. This can be very frustrating, especially when others ignore what you are feeling, when they see depression as just sadness and tell you not to think about it too much.

8. People do not understand that mental illness is real

Many people seem to continue to believe that depression is a choice and that mental illness is not real. But the fact that there are no physical manifestations to see does not mean that the suffering you feel is not real. It’s not just in your head. If you are able to feel it, then for you it is very real. When others minimize the power of depression, you may feel that you are doing something wrong. As a result, you may even decide to keep quiet and not talk to anyone about your painful situation.

9. People think that depression is the same for everyone

The experience of each individual with a mental disorder is different. Depression is not the same for everyone. Some people may stop eating and struggle with insomnia, while others may eat too much and sleep too much.

There are people who have severe depression with high functioning and do not even seem to have problems. And for others, depression can force them to stay in bed all day without doing anything.

Despite this variety, all experiences of depression are equally real and in all its forms it is difficult to cope with.

10. Learn to appreciate small accomplishments / joys

The last, but perhaps the most important aspect when battling depression: even the smallest of victories deserves to be celebrated!

Did you manage to get out of bed today? Excellent!

You had a short conversation with someone? Very well!

Did you take the time to comb your hair or take a shower? Appreciate it!

All of these are very, very important accomplishments for someone with depression. It may not mean much to other people. But for you, who struggle with depression on a daily basis, these are good times that remind you why you need to keep fighting and why it is so important not to give up.

It is important to remember that you should not allow others to dictate how you should feel. The fact that others do not feel the same way like you does not make what you feel less real. No need to justify or force yourself to change those feelings!

If you are struggling with depression or any other mental illness, you should know that there is always hope and help and that one day things can get better.

And, of course, seeking professional help can help you on your way to a better mental health. If you would like to work with me, you can request an appointment here.

If you have depression or have been suffering from depression, leave us a comment about your experience and what was useful in your case to overcome it.

If you found this material useful, make sure you click the like button and distribute it to those who need to hear it.

All the best!

Joseph