Depression isn't weakness.

#NeverBeAshamedToBeDepressed. 

So I really need to get this off my chest.. 

I was chatting with somebody on my Facebook Page last-night all about depression & even now I actually cannot believe what she came out with, she said & I "quote" - "Depression isn't real, it is just people being Human, you label yourself as depressed out of reaction from the medication that you take, if you are on any that is!" was this women actually for real?

I was diagnosed with Depression when I was 19 years old, & when I was 22 I slipped into Post Natal Depression when my now nearly 3 year old son was just a few months old.. I didn't know at the time & I was so low that I was having suicidal thoughts. It took me until my son was 8 months old for me to get the courage & go see my doctor, because like most young mums that suffer with Depression, I automatically assumed I would be branded a bad mother & my son would be taken from my care.. If it wasn't for my family standing behind me & my husband coming to the appointment with me i'm not actually sure if i'd of gone & if things had carried on the way they were going, I actually dread to think that I might of actually succumbed to all the suicidal thoughts that were going around in my head. 

It has taken me a very long time to get to where I am today & it is all thanks to my family & close friends. I know that I am better now that what I was back then, but I still know that i'm not 100%, one day I do hope to be able to come off my medication & deal with my issues alone without having to see a counciller but until then I don't think that ANYBODY has the right to criticize your mental state. 

if you have never suffered with depression yourself then it is hard to understand, but any normal person knows that if you do know somebody that is depressed you never ask them why, depression isn't a straight forward response to a bad situation, depression is, just like the weather. 

You should always try to understand the blackness, lethargy, hopelessness & loneliness that some people go through, even if you find it hard, be there for them when they come through the other side. It is hard to be friends with somebody who is depressed, but as I know myself, it is one of the kindest, noblest & best things anybody could ever do for you when your in your time of need. 

Depression, Anxiety & Panic attacks are not "all in the head" or "a sign of weakness" they are a sign of having remained strong for far to long. 1 in 3 people will go through Depression at one point in their life, & it is nice to know that you are surrounded by people that care & will be there for you & most of all, that you are not alone. 

STRONG PEOPLE DON'T PUT OTHERS DOWN, THEY HELP TO LIFT THEM UP!