Depression. Oh no, did I scare you with that word? It's OK, you can run away and pretend it's not a legitimate disease and casually throw it around when you're sad or disappointed.
Just kidding.
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Joke's on you. Major Depression Disorder affects 14.8 million people in a given year. For anyone who doesn't get it, let me clear things up for you.
1. Having depression can make you tired and cranky all of the time.
It's exhausting. No amount of sleep can fix it.
2. Being tired all the time means sometimes, you just don't want to go out and socialize.
Do you know how much energy it takes to carry a conversation when you're tired? A ton. Don't give your friend shit if they don't want to go out.
3. When you do go out, trying to have a good time becomes as hard as the Olympics.
And it zaps all the energy out of us.
4. It majorly affects your eating habits.
Some days I can eat two large pizzas and some days I can't even stand to look at crackers. Depression, why do you do this?
5. Trying to explain depression to someone who doesn't get it is like giving algebraic concepts to a rock.
No, I don't have a specific reason as to why I want to drown in a sea of pillows and blankets right now.
6. Don't give me advice on how to manage my depression.
Unless I ask or you're a certified therapist, I don't need you telling me that I need to get outside and enjoy the day.
7. When people assume you're not actually depressed because you "don't look depressed."
I'm sorry, but, would you tell someone that they don't have diabetes or that they don't have a heart condition because you can't see it? Exactly.
8. When you're feeling super down and you try to remind yourself that you have an actual disease and aren't just a lazy piece of crap.
It's worse when other people ignore the fact that you have depression and make you feel even worse about yourself.
9. Constantly trying to manage depression is like trying to fight off Fluffy, the three-headed dog from "Harry Potter."
Maybe a Snape playing a golden harp would help, too.
10. Saying you're depressed when you're unhappy does not mean you are depressed.
Depression can cause sadness or unhappiness, sure, but when people say that they're depressed about not seeing a concert or that their favorite sports team lost, this is honestly like a slap in the face.
11. The most common words in your vocabulary are "I'm fine."
"No really, I'm fine. I'm okay, don't worry about me!" *Has a panic attack across the room*
12. Unfortunately, if you suffer from depression, the annoying little sister, anxiety, tags along.
The only two-for-one deal you'd never want to get.
I hope this shed some light on the darkness that is depression. And I hope the next time you come across someone with this illness you aren't a closed-minded noob. Honestly, this is 2016 and the stigma of mental illness needs to end.
