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There are more than 21 million people fighting depression in the United States. In Maine alone, the condition affects roughly 1 in 10 people. Numbers like these show us it’s common for a person to be in a low place, mental health-wise. With winter right around the corner, people will be fighting off Seasonal Affective Disorder — commonly referred to as “winter depression.”
But only one-third of people who suffer from depression seek out any sort of treatment. Depression isn’t something to be ashamed of. It’s something to be dealt with head-on.
If you are in a state of mind that keeps you from living your day-to-day life, it’s time to put pride aside and put your mental health first. When depression hits, you may lose sleep, which keeps you from functioning properly. Or maybe you’ll sleep too much and miss out on work, school and maintaining your friendships. People fighting depression may constantly think negative thoughts. These thoughts sometimes even result in suicide — 15 percent of the clinically depressed choose to end their lives. Why do so many people’s stories end this way?
Many view the act of seeing a counselor in a negative light. When people do consider counseling, they may fear others will think they’re crazy. I know because for a short time, I was one of those people.
A couple years ago, I found myself in a mental place I couldn’t get myself out of. Eventually, I shut myself off from those closest to me. I slept all day and would only go as far as I needed to get food. Classes weren’t an option in my mind.
Looking back I realize how unhealthy all this was. Going down was so much easier than trying to fight my way out of this hole. My loved ones were concerned about what was going on. They didn’t know where their outgoing and optimistic friend, daughter, sister and cousin had gone. I couldn’t blame them for wondering. I had the same thoughts running through my head.
The support of friends and family is always helpful, but even they can only help so much. Their hearts might be in the right place, but they’re likely to try and instill their own beliefs, telling you how they would overcome your problems and expecting their methods to work for you. That’s why I realized going to a counselor would be helpful for me.
Counseling was important because it got a more objective person to help me come to some sort of peace of mind. It’s amazing what one session will do to start you in the right direction. With a counselor, there’s no need to worry about having judgment passed on you. Their job is to help you, but you have to take the first step and go to them. The feeling you get from taking control lifts a weight from your shoulders.
We have a great resource here on campus connected to the Cutler Health Center: the Counseling Center. There are probably lots of people who don’t seek out mental health counseling due to prohibitive costs. As a young college student, I wouldn’t have been able to afford the fees attached to most counseling sessions. But at the Counseling Center on campus, students can speak with a mental health professional free of charge.
No matter how small or big the situation seems, only you can decide if it’s important enough to ask an outside party for help. But if you are in the 12 percent of males or 26 percent of females battling depression, put some real thought into seeking counseling. It’s OK to recognize something is wrong and to fight for the piece of you that gets lost through depression. There’s no shame in wanting to improve your life.
Amy Brooks is photo editor for The Maine Campus.
Bangor Daily News