Something That I Pray You’ll Never Know
My name is Jeremy, and I have depression.
I’m not here to tell you about my illness or how it manifests; I’m here because some of you are going through something similar. Some of you have never been diagnosed with mental illness but still find yourself struggling to get out of bed every morning, feeling like your life isn’t worth living and waiting for the moment when someone will save you from this hell. It’s okay if that describes you; it’s not something to be ashamed of or hidden away forever—it’s just part of being human. And there are millions of us out there who feel exactly like this because we’ve experienced trauma in our lives, maybe even multiple kinds over time. This is what keeps us up at night while everyone else sleeps peacefully (or tries to).
Depression. Anxiety. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
There is a lot of stigma surrounding mental health problems and the people who have them. You may think that people with depression or anxiety are weak, or that they’re just “sensitive”. You might even believe that anyone who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is someone who was traumatized by war or violence.
I’m here to tell you that these assumptions couldn’t be further from the truth. Mental illnesses are common in every country on Earth, including yours—you probably know someone with one. And while they can be treated using medical means, they’re also treatable through therapy and support groups where other people who struggle with the same issues can help each other heal and grow stronger together.
There’s a big difference between saying these words and knowing them.
There’s a big difference between saying these words and knowing them.
If you’re not sure, here are some resources that can help:
- The National Institute of Mental Health has an excellent resource on various mental illnesses and conditions. They offer articles on every condition, as well as information about symptoms, treatment options and more. To learn more about depression specifically, visit their page on symptoms of depression or read this article from Psychology Today by Dr. Michaelann Briar-Lawrence titled “Symptoms Of Depression And Anxiety Disorders.” You can also check out the NIMH’s page for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) here; it covers the basics of PTSD but doesn’t go into depth about specific treatments like anxiety disorders do.
- If you think your own mental health could be affected by any of these conditions or another issue beyond them—or if someone in your life may need help—there is always an option to reach out to professionals who can help guide you through whatever steps might be necessary next.”
So let me tell you about something that I pray you’ll never know.
Depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder are the three most common mental illnesses in the United States. They can be difficult to understand if you’re not experiencing them yourself. And that means that many people don’t know how to talk about them with those who do have these conditions. But here’s what we should all know: mental illness is not something for which one needs pity or help; it’s a disease like any other—it affects both sufferers and those around them in different ways.
The best way to understand how depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder affect those who suffer from them is by first understanding what these diseases look like on an individual level:
Takeaway:
The takeaway is that this is a story about what it’s like to live with mental illness. It’s not a story about how to cope with mental illness or get over it; it’s not even really a story about the symptoms of mental illness, though we have covered them in some detail.
Mental health issues are incredibly common and their effects can be devastating if left untreated, but they’re also something that many people deal with every day—including myself! If nothing else, I hope this viewpoint has helped you understand how an episode from my perspective might look.
I’m lucky enough that my episodes are few and far between these days—they’ve become more manageable since I started going through therapy last year—but when they do happen now, I’m able to understand them better than ever before because of my experiences writing this series for PopSci.
I’m not a clinical psychologist, so I can’t diagnose you with anything. But what I can tell you is that there are many things in this world that we don’t understand, and the more we learn about them the more comfortable we become with those unknowns. That being said, if any of these symptoms sound like something you have experienced or continue to experience regularly then please seek help immediately.