Hey Stephen

To make a long intro short, one of my friends recently went through a breakup, and the boy she broke up with made some very interesting (and by interesting I mean ignorant, childish and infuriating) comments. He sent the following message that made me so angry I could have thrown something.

You're a smart human, you can read, but let me go ahead and sum those little gray bubbles up for you. This boy has not only diminished depression to something you should "push yourself past" but he also says that some people "are just too weak to do anything about it." Excuse me? No. If it weren't for the fact that I didn't have my passport on me, I'd have driven to Canada where that moron resides and given him a high five in the face with a chair.

People like to think that depression isn't a big deal and that it's nothing to waste worry on. Depression is not the same as being sad. Yes, everyone gets sad and a lot of people get sorrowful, but those feelings are completely different than the disease that is depression. Comparing being sad to having depression is like saying having a cold is like having cancer. Do not underestimate it.

People like that boy, with attitudes like that, are the main reason there is such a negative attitude towards people with mental and emotional illnesses. Growing up I didn't know what depression was, I thought it was just a synonym for sadness. Even when I began suffering from depression I didn't know what it was. It was 3 years before I was diagnosed and another 2 or 3 years after that before I was able to accept and comprehend that depression was out of my control. It's caused by a chemical imbalance and is nearly impossible to overcome, even with medication, Doctors, therapists and a reliable, caring support system.

I am a lucky and blessed girl who had every opportunity and every resource at my disposal when battling my depression, and I still nearly died more than once. So do not EVER, tell me or anyone else that people are just "too weak" to deal with depression. When you say something like that you further the incorrect stereotype that depression is nothing more than being sad. You infer that those of us who have depression are just "being dramatic" or need to "get over it".

Would you tell someone dying of cancer to 'get over it'? Would you tell a war veteran who had to have a limb amputated to 'stop being dramatic'? No, you wouldn't, because they have no control over those circumstances. Neither do we. In order to create a culture that is understanding and accepting of those who struggle with mental and emotional illness, we have to combat this kind of language.

Depression is not something that's easy to understand, and while I can't speak for anyone else, I'm more than willing to talk about my experiences and answer any questions you have about depression. Never let a lack of understanding become inconsiderate ignorance.