Feelings of Persecution: The Capital Crime of Depression.
Posted Sep 15, 2024 02:34 PM
Feelings of Persecution: The Capital Crime of DepressionHave you ever had Depression? If you answered no; you’re lying to yourself. If you said yes; you just took the first step, Accountability. My name is Noah Cartwright, I am 18 years old, and I have struggled with depression virtually my entire life; until now. How do we define depression? Webster's Dictionary defines depression as “A state of feeling sad - low spirits - Melancholy (Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary).
In order to claim an appropriate definition for depression, we must also first acknowledge that depression comes in many different forms: Clinical Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Persistent Depressive Disorder, and even Postpartum Depression. It is my understanding that depression affects individuals differently (Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary). I believe it is important that we work on not encompassing depression into one strongly mischaracterized category. Instead, viewing it knowing that all forms of depression are commonly comorbid with other mental diagnoses. When you’re so far down the mental health rabbit hole, you have two choices; stay down, or come back up. What will you choose?
I
A major first step in overcoming depression is acknowledging that you have it. You might ask “how do I know if I have depression?” First and foremost, consult a clinical professional. You can request a Psych Evaluation; an extensive document curated by a Psychologist on your mental health history. A Psychological Evaluation allows for a more accurate diagnosis.
Depression is often either misdiagnosed, or its symptoms are not recognized until it becomes too late (Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders 2011). The signs of depression are not always prevalent; people think that individuals who are Depressed are always expressive of it. When depression is not treated appropriately, or at all, it turns into this vicious cycle. To most individuals who reach this point - including myself - your options, the decisions you make, and every thought you have feel meaningless.
II
Depression can range in severity from mild to extreme and fatal. When we reach the extreme and fatal point; we go through an entire lifestyle change. We become pessimistic, maybe even misanthropic. Our entire perception of the world and our rooted morals become distorted. I believe our environment has the greatest impact on something known as “maintenance factors”. Maintenance factors are the dynamics or circumstances of a matter that perpetuate the feeling of depression, or any unhealthy behavior for that matter. Maintenance factors are not always actively unhealthy behaviors. Oftentimes maintenance factors are our thoughts. What we tell ourselves internally plays an enormous role in whether or not you feel good throughout the day. The lack of a willingness to change, absent motivation, and a lack of set goals being accomplished are all maintenance factors. To put it simply, these are all reasons why you’d still be depressed.
Another reason why you may still be experiencing depressive tendencies can be due to “thinking errors”. A thinking error is a cognitive distortion that we may have been taught at a young age, or learned in our adult life. Here are some of the most common thinking errors; minimization, catastrophizing, “distant elephants”, and personalization. Thinking errors are far more commonly used than you may think. Have you ever had someone make something that has nothing to do with them, their problem? That is exactly what personalization is! (Psychology Today)
III
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, it is likely that for every 100,000, 14,000 will have committed suicide over the course of a year in the United States (Suicide is a Leading Cause of Death in the United States). Suicide prevention awareness has always tried to become prevalent. However, particularly in the recent years, suicide prevention seems to have become a taboo topic of discussion. You have probably heard the quote famously spoken by Robin M. Williams, “And remember, suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.” Getting rid of suicidal thoughts can be extremely difficult. That is why most would rather follow through with the act as opposed to putting in the work to change it.
As mentioned earlier in the beginning of Section two, I talked about how when we reach the extreme and fatal point in depression, we become pessimistic. Well, that is mostly the reason why so many depressed people commit suicide. I mean, fundamentally; that is the true definition of depression. A chemical imbalance that forces the brain to bring about nihilistic thought processes. Forcing you to continuously tell yourself that nothing is going to change, and that nothing is going to get better. It is critical that all of us must come to terms with and truly understand that we have no absolute control over others' decision to commit suicide with the exception of ourself.
All you can do is plant the seeds of information, and hope and pray that they take that seed and take care of it each day. That is the fundamental purpose of therapy. You can’t control whether or not someone changes their behavior or mindset. Therapy and simply providing help to those in need is all about mere influence. Helping someone navigate through the intolerable effects of depression can be a life changing experience.
In conclusion, depression may be something that can tear apart caring families and break off meaningful relationships. Although, it is still something that can be overcome. It is common for depressed individuals to feel as if they are the only person going through it. Moreover, some depressed individuals feel as if someone who they confide in about the depression just won’t understand. Seek medical attention if you are struggling with any form of depression. The writings in the essay contain a condensed interpretation of all that I have learned about depression; in hopes to help you.
Cited Sources:
Vermani Monica; PsyD, Marcus Madalyn; MA, and Katzman Martin; MD; FRCPC. “Rates of Detection of Mood and Anxiety Disorders in Primary Care: A Descriptive,
Cross-Sectional Study.” Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders 2011
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3184591/
National Institute of Mental Health. “Suicide is a Leading Cause of Death in the United States.”
Suicide, February, 2024
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statisti...100%2C000)
Merriam-Webster. “Depression.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Date of access 07.16.24
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depression
Welsh, David T., Baer, Michael D., Sessions, Hudson. “Hot Pursuit: The affective consequences
of organization-set versus self-set goals for emotional exhaustion citizenship behavior.”
Journal of Applied Psychology, February, 2020
https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2019-33666-001
Morin Amy. “10 Thinking Errors That Will Crush Your Mental Strength…and how to overcome
them.” Psychology Today, January 24th, 2024
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/...l-strength
