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| Getty Images - Depression is one of the most common forms of mental disorder, yet many people mask their symptoms or isolate themselves rather than confront their depression to seek treatment. |
"Thousands of users have used the trending hashtag to share powerful
stories about how their lives are affected and shaped by depression.
It's an issue that remains a problem with an estimated 15.7 million of
U.S. adults grappling with it a depressive episode in 2014, according to
the National Institute of Mental Health.
"Some users write they are incapacitated by deep feelings of depression
or anxiety. Others write about painful moments when they masked the
depression in a smiling selfie or when they were out among friends.
"Mary Alvord, a Maryland-based psychologist and director of the
psychotherapy practice Alvord, Baker & Associates, told ABC News
social media can be a powerful tool to help combat the stigma of mental
illness and to inform people.
"'For the most part the message, my message to teens [in treatment] is
you’re not alone,' Alvord told ABC News today. 'I think social media
platforms, while they can certainly be used in a negative way, they also
have the potential to really help.'
"Alvord said that even though more attention is being paid to mental
disorders like depression, many people don't understand what a
depressive person looks like.
"'I think people assume that depressives go around and talk about how sad
they are,' said Alvord, who explained that isolation and irritability
are major signs of depression that are often overlooked. 'Irritability
is often a sign with depression that people don’t think about. It’s
often associated with agitation and anger.'"
I asked my shrink once if she had ever treated someone for depression who was "cured." She said yes, but I've never met one. Once you see a shrink, you're on SSRIs forever.
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