I need your help. I have something very important to share with you. I want to talk to you about depression. Did you know that millions of Americans struggle with depression. It is the most common mental illness. Yet a lot of people do not know what depression looks like. There are a lot of misconceptions about depression and today I am going to try to clear up some of them.

I said I needed your help, well I will get to that. First let me clear up some of these misconceptions about depression.

• Depression causes a person to feel sad and cry all the time. This is not true. Yes depression does cause sad feelings and you may cry more easily but depression is really as the word states, depressed.

• Depression causes you to feel numb emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually and socially.

• Depression is a depressed body and mind. People describe it as feeling very heavy and tired in their body.

• Depression causes feelings to become suppressed and flat.

• Depression causes your mind to feel empty or scattered. It is hard to think and concentrate.

• Depression zaps all your energy. You will find that you do not have any motivation to do anything. You want to stay in bed and sleep all day but yet you are too tired and depressed to sleep.

• Depression causes you to lose your desire and motivation to do things. You may find you no longer enjoy doing things you once enjoyed doing.

• You do not want to spend time with friends and family because all your emotional and physical energy is gone.

• You feel lost and that you do not have purpose or passion because once again all your emotional, mental, and physical energy is gone.

Depression is not just sadness and crying. We have a tendency to see people displaying the symptoms of depression and offer them advice to get up and move, or have some fun, or just to “get over it”. It is not quite that simple. Depression causes all motivation and energy to be decreased and eliminated so it is very difficult for someone with depression to have the energy and motivation to get up and take your advice.

There is really good news. Depression is also very treatable. Many people can overcome depression and live happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives. Therapy and medication are the most effective ways to deal with depression.

So remember I said I needed your help? I need to spread the word. You or someone you know may be struggling with depression and feel like they have no way out. They may feel hopeless and helpless. Sharing this video may give someone the information and to know there is help. This information can give someone hope. Please share this video. It may save a life.

Have you ever struggled with depression? What helped you?

Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have about depression and how to overcome it.