Depression as a Fad

[[Ic...]]

Sooo, I don't want to ruffle feathers or sound judgmental, but has anyone noticed how on social media, depression and anxiety has become a fad and everyone is proud to have it? It really upset me today to find a post where you "drop a heart" of a different color for every mental illness you have such as depression, bi polar, ADHD, and anxiety. I don't know but my depression and anxiety is so painful that I don't allow people to know I have it. I could be wrong, and I have no business telling someone what they feel and do not feel, but if you're proudly waving your anxiety and depression flag, then maybe you have never felt its sting. Depression is not sadness. It is not merely low-self esteem. It is depersonalization. Derealization. Apathy. Not being motivated and feeling no joy even when you know that you should. Anxiety is more than just a leg tapping or not wanting to speak in front of a crowd. It is the fight or flight response so messed up that you get cortisol surges and panic attacks that feel like they are lasting a life time just because you took a bite of a sandwich.

 

Anyway, rant over.

[[Br...]]

I'm glad you posted about this.  I understand what you're saying about depression and anxiety being trivialized a lot in social media. It's hard to believe people have suffered the way many of us have when they seem to treat it so glibly.  But what I'm seeing more of is people trying to remove the stigma that has stifled open discussion of these issues for too long and made people feel isolated and ashamed.  I welcome this!

[[Ic...]]

I'm glad you posted about this.  I understand what you're saying about depression and anxiety being trivialized a lot in social media. It's hard to believe people have suffered the way many of us have when they seem to treat it so glibly.  But what I'm seeing more of is people trying to remove the stigma that has stifled open discussion of these issues for too long and made people feel isolated and ashamed.  I welcome this!

 

Brighterday, I believe that is what the movement was originally meant for: removing the stigma. However, it somehow evolved into a fad where everyone wants it. But as you said, I'm all for removing the stigma of mental illnesses! 

[[Pa...]]

I used to say I was depressed but I've never actually experienced depression until I was on Ambien, it was so dark and scary I was truly afraid for my life.  Now, I never use that word because I'm not.  Sometimes I feel low or sad but I refuse to co-opt a serious condition like depression again, it's nothing to trivialize.

[[to...]]

Social media, particularly facebook, twitter, and instagram, is a very toxic place.  In my opinion, the best thing people can do is to simply turn them off for good.

[[RS...]]

@[ic...]

 

Social media trivializes everything.  That’s why I don’t use any of those services.  It just adds noise and chaos to your life.

 

But your description of depression and anxiety are spot on.  That is exactly how I felt.

 

For me, the way out was first learning to reprogram my brain.  It wants to keep serving up bad thoughts and memories, it wants to filter out all of the good and give me only the bad.  Next step was pulling back and slowing down.  The world is so noisy and makes too many demands.  Rush here, rush there, do this (because that’s what everyone is doing), do that.  Finally, coming off of Ativan and Ambien made a huge difference.  They numbed me and prevented me from feeling joy, from being happy. 

 

All the best to you on your recovery.