In our journey through life, we often encounter friends, family members, or colleagues who battle with depression. Understanding how to communicate effectively and compassionately with those experiencing depression is crucial. This guide aims to provide insights and strategies for supportive and empathetic communication, fostering a nurturing environment for those facing this challenge. Understanding Depression Understanding …

There is a common misconception that depression is an intense form of sadness. This idea is understandable. For most people, sadness is the only thing that could make them so unhappy that they would struggle to function. However, sadness and depression are not the same thing and the difference is important. To understand the difference …

When I came out as gay at the age of twenty-four, I felt a huge weight off my shoulders. I had been hiding who I really was for most of my life. Letting go of that burden gave me hope for a happy, healthy future. However, a year later I went through the worst major …

A major depressive episode is difficult to understand from the outside. Even for those of us who have gone through a major depressive episode, it can be tough to put it into words. A few years back, I was suffering from a mild but persistent depression. Although I had been taking medication for almost a …

Every person who has suffered from depression recognizes the difficulty in explaining it to friends and family. Many people simply seem to struggle to understand depression. They question why you are feeling depressed, as if there is a convenient trigger you can pinpoint. They don’t know why you can’t just “snap out of it.” These …