Depression: A Hidden Problem Uncovered
By Zach Roozendaal
Well hello everyone. I took a big hiatus, and I’m sure many of you are wondering why I haven’t done any writing in a while. I’m back now, and there’s a few reasons I haven’t been writing much, and the biggest one is why I’m writing this article in the first place. It’s a very late start for me to be writing articles this far into the academic year, as most of my fellow journalists start writing in September or October. But better late than never, though never late is better, and I apologize for the lack of activity.
Before I get into this, for anyone who may feel sensitive towards the subject of depression, trauma or suicide, those things will be mention in this article, so you may not feel comfortable with reading the rest of this article, however there are resources for anyone with mental illness to access that I will mention towards the end of the article that I will leave in bold.
Depression is a mental illness that many people of all different ages suffer from, just like most illnesses. Unfortunately, the signs of it aren’t necessarily as recognizable as other illnesses. Influenza is an illness that many people can recognize and physically see the effect it’s taking on a person. Sweating, chills, nausea, fever, vomiting and runny noses are all signs of that, but depression is far different. There’s no vaccine or shot you can take to prevent it, there’s no cure that necessarily fixes it.
Depression eats away at a person, and robs them of joy from things they may have liked doing at one point. It makes them insecure, and feel like they’re insignificant. It also robs them of their motivation to do even the simplest of things, like shower, cook a meal and go outside. It also causes them to feel more exhausted and less attentive. Depression should not ever be viewed as laziness. A person can want to do things but lack the motivation and have problems overcoming the dozens of mental roadblocks that keep them from doing what they want. It’s important to note that there is a difference between wanting to do something and having the motivation to do it. An example of this is me wanting to write an article and feeling like it’s impossible to do, and that the short walk downstairs to the shower is like walking from one end of Toronto to the other.
In case it hasn’t been obvious by now, I’m writing this article because I’m passionate about this subject and feel it’s extremely important to share this information with you, but also because I like 1 in 5 Canadians suffer from depression. The statistics I’ll be using are mostly from the Health Canada page on the Canadian Government’s website. The link to the page is here if you’re interested in reading it more in depth or looking at related articles.
One of the most important things to remember is that depression is an illness, and not just someone who is sad or emotionally weak. Depression is the clinical term used to describe prolonged periods of at least 2 months or more where an individual’s personality has become more negative and where they feel less motivated and also a feeling of hopelessness or worthlessness. If you believe you may be suffering from depression, inform your doctor of it. Even if they’re just a general practitioner, they can give you a referral to someone who is a psychiatric specialist that can help you figure out if you do have it.
Symptoms of depression vary from person to person, and can also be more intense in some cases, especially if there are other issues or illnesses a person may have. These symptoms can also present themselves physically in some cases but can unfortunately be shrugged off by others as laziness or weakness. The symptoms include:
• A change in diet or sleep patterns.
• Lack of motivation.
• Seemingly constant fatigue.
• Thoughts of suicide.
• Easily agitated or upset.
• Feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness.
• Difficulty focussing.
• Poor hygiene.
• Difficulty leaving certain places, like home or bedroom.
• Having little or no energy.
• Loss of enjoyment in activities that were once enjoyable.
• Crying for seemingly no reason or feeling extreme sadness for no reason.
• Difficulty making decisions.
• Detachment from life and those around you.
• Headaches or upset stomachs that occur frequently.
• Negative thoughts or behaviour.
Depression unfortunately isn’t as harmless to one’s physical health as some may think. Depression has been linked to diseases like diabetes or heart disease, and can also lead some to treat their symptoms with substances, such as alcohol or narcotics to temporarily numb the pain, and get them motivated. Obviously, narcotics and alcohol and other addictions can lead to a variety of other problems, especially health related ones. Depression isn’t something that is easily overcome by everyone, it’s not like being sad, it’s far deeper and more complicated than that. A common misconception I’ve heard is that people with depression are using it as an excuse to feel sorry for themselves. That’s not at all the case with most people, and ridiculing them for a lack of motivation can make the problem worse and isolate them further.
Something I’ve also heard people around me say before is that “Well everyone has problems, you’re not the only one so quit making excuses because I feel really sad too and have deep problems but I’m doing lots and am accomplishing more.”
There are a few problems with saying things like that to someone who has depression. While yes, it is true that everyone has problems, depression isn’t just being really sad, and saying that it’s an excuse just because you know others with depression who are doing lots despite that. Most of those individuals are likely on antidepressants, and have been able to deal with their depression through that. Not everyone has that luxury. Telling someone everyone has problems is basically the same of saying “Suck it up and quit whining and being weak.” I don’t need to tell you that saying that doesn’t help, it actually just invalidates that person’s struggle and comes across as you trivializing their depression.
I plan on making a part 2 to this, but knowing I’ve got enough here for the editor to pass out from exhaustion from reading, I’ll leave it here. There are lots of articles I wished to do, and didn’t get to do, and will likely post on a Facebook page that I’m creating that I’m going to call TLA, or The Lost Articles for short.
As for the resources you can access, please contact the following:
24/7 Canada Suicide Prevention Service: 1-833-456-4566 or go to this website to find the best crisis help within your area: https://www.crisisservicescanada.ca/en/looking-for-local-resources-support/
You can also contact the Kids Help Phone 24 Hour Support Line for anyone between the ages of 5 to 29 to receive free and anonymous support. Call 1-800-668-6868 (toll-free) or text 686868 or visit their website for help connecting through Facebook Messenger. https://kidshelpphone.ca/
For Indigenous and Metis people, there is also the Hope for Wellness Helpline. You can call 1-855-242-3310 (toll-free) or visit their online live support chat. https://www.hopeforwellness.ca/
That’s about it, and apologies to the editor for the lengthy last-minute submission. And now, I’ll leave you all with my final thought:
The scars that are invisible to others are often the ones far more painful than any cuts or bruises, but the best way to treat them is through help, love, care and kindness.
Take care my friends, and hopefully the other articles I’ve submitted make it through, otherwise, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and stay safe out there and please be careful and spread joy and love this holiday season.
Until next time, this is Zach Roozendaal, signing off.