Is depression something to be ashamed of?

Question

I used to be depressed I told none of my friends, many asked it was obvious since I'm always the humorous one who has nothing wrong in his life. I feel ashamed because if I tell any friends I'm sure they'll tell other people and start saying It's just for attention, I even had some contemplated *you know what* during this time.

Answer 1

NO.
Being ashamed of depression only leads to more depression. If you're around people who encourage you to feel ashamed of being depressed, then it's time to start seeking out people who actually understand what it's like to go through that particular ordeal.

Being depressed isn't about "feeling bad" and stuff like that. It's a physical response to a cascade of stresses that are both environmental and physiological and feeling ashamed just adds to that cascade.

In order to feel better, challenge your depression: seek medical help if necessary, seek counseling, but most importantly, seek support from people you can trust and who counteract the darkest hollows of depression by actually MAKING you feel how much you mean to them. Friends do that, and never underestimate the value of a friend. If you don't have friends who understand it, then don't give up hope. Friends are out there, and heck...I may even be one of them.

Answer 2

at fourteen, you cannot be diagnosed with depression. Clinical depression develops over a couple of decades. What you are experiencing are the symptoms that go along with the hormonal changes your body is going through in the teenage years. Some have a harder time with this than others. What might be of benefit to you would be some counselling and you can get that from a school counsellor or a minister, and they can't tell your parents due to confidentiality laws. As for being ashamed, I cannot imagine why you would be.....it happens to a lot of teenagers, you have no control over what your hormones do to you, but you do have some control over what you do about the effects, and often just talking to someone helps a great deal. Part of maturing is learning to talk to people about what we feel, time you started thinking about growing up a little and find yourself a counsellor.

Answer 3

If you are depressed you need to get some help. There is nothing to be ashamed of. There are medications that can help you; the only shame is in not doing anything about it. I have depression also and everyone doesn't always understand, but they aren't the ones that have to live with it. I have had this for ten years or more and I did not know until I tried to kill myself and was treated by a doctor. Now I take Prozac and I feel great.

Answer 4

Personally, I don't think its something to be ashamed of. Everyone experiences some form of depression; loss of a loved one, losing your job. Some people are able to cope with it on their ownwhile other need professional help in overcoming it. At the end of the day, I think everyone is seeking to be well adjusted to life and happy.

Most uninformed people look down on people diagnosed with mild to severe depression. But without understanding that person's history, background and life experiences, this is a dangerously ignorant thing. Everyone benefits from talking to others about their anxieties, fears and everyday life issues. Some people have great friends that can lift their spirits, others have problems that cannot be solved by a friend telling you "everything will be fine" but a professional mental health professional might be able to help. Please don't be ashamed of your condition, at the end of the day, I believe you friends want you around and will like to see you beas happy as possible.

Answer 5

I have been suffering from depression since I was ten years old and I have never been ashamed of it. Depression is just part of who you are. It sculps you and molds you to who you are today. Nothing is wrong with depression. I am sure some of your friends are depressed but they don't want to talk about it for the same reason. As for the "it's all for attention.." deal. I've had to deal with that before. As long as you know that it isn't..then it doesn't matter what people say. You shouldn't concern yourself with other peoples opinions since they are simply opinions.

Answer 6

nope, its roots can be biological, ie. from substances the mother oreven father were taking that could be harmful to the fetus, from some abnormalcy in brain chemistry, temporary from specific incidents from hurts like heartbreaks and death of a loved one that we can't handle alone- emotions we may think of as abnormal, not realizing others have the same feelings. Anyway therapy combined with the right, and the right is through experimentattion of a KNOWLEDGABLE PSYCHIATRIST on the right meds. specifically for depression- one who will not give up because there are so many meds. that can help. Nobody deserves to be depressed and thus often debilitated.

Answer 7

Depression is a medical condition like any other. It can be caused by low seretonin or situational factors, and often runs in families. It is debilitating but often easily remedied with medication or therapy, or a combination of the two. It is a waste of life to suffer when it is no different from diabetes which you would not think twice about seeking medical help for.

Answer 8

Depression is never anything to be ashamed of. I believe everyone, at one point in their life will experience depression. I did for about 3 years and I finally got out of it. But it still hits sometimes.

Answer 9

No you should not be ashamed of depression, it would make a person even more depress, and with an average of 39% of the planet being depress at any given time, it would make a lot of people ashamed of themselves.

Answer 10

No, depression is nothing to be ashamed of. If you had high blood pressure and had to take meds for it, you wouldn't feel ashamed. If you were diabetic, and had to take insulin, you wouldn't feel ashamed. Many times, depression is caused by an imbalance of chemicals in the brain. Go to your doctor and talk about this.