Image Credit: Getty Images/Philip Lee Harvey

What I Wish You Knew About Depression

Reading time | 2 mins

Major depression is a common diagnosis in the United States. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, roughly 17.3 million American adults experience at least one depressive episode in a given year. In addition, 3.2 million adolescents have had at least one major depressive episode. 

While certain populations may be more or less affected by depression, this mental health disorder doesn’t discriminate. There is no “face” of depression.

Worldwide, it’s the leading cause of disability, and yet only 65% of American adults have received some form of treatment. This may be due to lack of resources and the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

Even though conversations around depression have been in the spotlight more and more in recent years, this mental health disorder is often misunderstood and misrepresented in popular culture.

To break through the myths that often lead to stigma, we talked to real-life people living with mental illness and asked, “What do you wish more people knew about depression?”

Here’s what they had to say.

Depression is not a choice. It’s a medical condition.

There are different types and levels of depression

There’s no one face of depression

it isn’t a temporary reaction to an event

NPS-US-NP-00437 MAY 2019