Depression is invisible. But real and can have devastating consequences. Check these popular myths about it. Read why it’s not by personal choice, design or weakness.
Some of us may have had these thoughts, or even spoken them aloud, at some point in time: depression is a myth!
Do you think like this – Other people get depression, not people like us?
Or this – depression is just a condition lazy people invent to excuse their laziness.
Here are some other popular myths about depression – real men don’t get depression; I am a busy woman and I have no time to be depressed; depression is a condition
– Real men don’t get depression
– I’m a busy woman and I have no time to be depressed
– Depression is a condition hypochondriacs develop when they run out of medical conditions to complain about
– I’m too strong to be depressed
– I wouldn’t be depressed if everyone else would just leave me alone
However, depression doesn’t happen by choice or design! Nobody chooses to get depression.
But how they choose to deal with it may be a matter of choice.

Depression has no respect for a person’s status. Anyone can develop it – rich, poor, old, young, executive, teenager, man or woman.
It can happen to anyone, at any time, slowly or over time. It can hit you hard when you least expect it.
Real, strong men can not get depression. Yes, they can, and they do!

In fact, if you think like this, you are more liable to suffer more from depression – you remain in denial longer. You cause more emotional harm to yourself and your loved ones, and you would be more liable to lose your job!
Now to the people who often think they have to be strong towers – women. They may think they have no time to be ill.
They are too busy – they have to run the family, take care of all the people they love, run businesses and ensure their careers are upwardly mobile, always!!

Who else is going to do all these things we alone as women can do??
Yes, women have to make time to take care of ourselves, too.
Otherwise, there may no one and nothing left for us to care for!
The fact that we cannot see the physical signs and symptoms of depression does not make it less real.
Depression does not develop because you are weak. It’s not a matter of lack of strength on your part.
If you fall down and break a leg, do you regard this as a lack of strength on your part? Or does someone get cancer because they are weak?
You don’t get depression because you are too weak to overcome the obstacles of life and flourish!

You do not get depression because you are a weak person. It’s not a matter of emotional strength or weakness!!
Another myth is believing that the depression we are experiencing would cease to be if everyone would just leave us in total peace.

Absolute peace and quiet. From our children, our partners, colleagues, neighbours and bosses.Since that is never going to happen, we will have to confront depression from another angle- treat it as a condition it is and not just the fault of everyone in our lives.
This is never going to happen. No one is an Island!we will have to confront depression from another angle- treat it as a condition it is and not just the fault of everyone in our lives.
We have to confront depression from another angle- treat it as the condition it is. Not just the fault of everyone else in our lives!
Take it that you need some intervention. You need some help, just like everyone else, at some point in life. Period!
You know, it’s possible to have outer quiet and still suffer from inner turmoil. Especially when you realise you need help. But remain in denial.

Let’s give a helping hand and treat depression as the medical condition it is. Not something weak people develop; not a condition that happens by choice or weakness; not something hypochondriacs get when they run out of conditions to suffer from; not for a certain age or class of persons. It can happen to anyone!