Editorial: Depression seen as ‘less than’ illness

I am depressed. Not literally at this moment, while I write these words, but in general. I am one of approximately 15 million Americans who suffer from clinical depression and yet, by some sardonic twist of irony, my diagnosis, by its very nature, makes me feel all alone.

But, I am not alone. At least, I am consciously aware that I am not. See, the nature of depression is that it tricks one’s mind into a bleak prison where one’s own thoughts play both inmate and warden: interest becomes something to be feigned, not felt; motivation becomes a taunting reminder of one’s perceived shortcomings; even hope and self-worth become more foreign concepts than physics to a poetry major.

Like cancer, depression metastasizes, silently seeping into every aspect of one’s life. What starts as a melancholy disposition grows — festers — until it is overwhelming. Forget holding down a job, or even doing chores around the house; for the sufferer of depression, just crawling out of bed to take a shower seems a Herculean task akin to climbing Mount Everest.

Also like cancer, the threat of recurrence remains ever present. One is never “cured” of the illness fully, he or she only learns to manage it. Just as a cancer survivor should regularly visit a doctor for blood work to determine if their cancer is returning, those suffering from depression must be vigilant in their care, lest they fall back into the hole they have tried to escape.

Unfortunately, however, there is a very significant area in which those fighting cancer and depression differ: their public perception. The physiological effects of cancer are usually readily noticeable, and those fighting them are given a due sense of respect and care. Cancer is, after all, a physically identifiable invader.

Depression sufferers are not so, for lack of a better word, lucky; theirs is an illness that hides. It is an invisible invader. There is no “depression tumor” that can be surgically removed and examined; no treatable parasite dictating the woebegone whims of the mind. But, depression does not exist solely as a figment of the imagination. It exists as surely as does cancer and, for its victims, is no less real.

Although its causes are not yet fully understood, we can point to the symptoms of depression. According to the fourth edition of the Diagnosis and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, these include “feeling guilty, hopeless, and worthless; having recurring suicidal thoughts; having trouble sleeping, either too much or too little; experiencing appetite [or] weight changes; having trouble paying attention and concentrating; feeling little energy or unexplained tiredness; [and] agitation or slowing down of body movements.” Experiencing a combination of these for five weeks or more would meet the requirements to be diagnosed depressed.

At this point, I should mention that the exact causes of cancer are also still under study. Cancer is diagnosed when it presents symptoms — benign or malignant — and treatment is taken from there. Friends and families are often more than happy to point these out and advise a medical consultation, as they should, but when it comes to pointing out the signs of depression, the same advice is seldom given.

I cannot, nor will I, claim to speak for everyone here, but my own experience is that depression, and other mental illness, is viewed as somehow less “real” than its physical counterparts. The victim often falls prey to the false belief that, through behavior modification or mere “positive thoughts,” the depression will abate. Further, should this fail, the problem lies not with the method of recovery, but with the patient, who has failed to magically moderate his or her maladies with meditation.

This kind of thinking is worse than misguided, it is dangerous and potentially lethal. Medications to lessen the effects of depression are available, as are therapists with whom feelings can be worked out. Treatment does exist and, quite frankly, the prognosis is far better for a victim of depression than one of cancer. But, just as cancer gone undetected can quickly kill, depression left unattended can easily lead to suicide.

I know these things because, as I said at the beginning of this article, I suffer from depression. I share them with you, dear reader, to preface a humble request: If you think you may be depressed, please go see a doctor; if you think your friend may be, urge him or her to make that appointment. Depression is more than just being sad, it is a real, debilitating illness. One as real, and sometimes as deadly, as cancer.