How to Stop Feeling Embarrassed About Your Depression

A woman looking sadly out the window

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Coping with the symptoms of depression can be challenging at any time. It can be particularly difficult if you were also struggling with feelings of embarrassment, shame, or guilt related to your condition.

There are many reasons why people might experience embarrassment about their depression. They may feel bad that their depression makes it more difficult to do daily tasks. Or they might feel shame about their condition due to the stigma surrounding mental illness.

无论原因,有些东西可以做些什么来帮助减少或消除这些尴尬的感受。

Remember That Others Understand

沮丧is one of the most common mental health conditions in the United States. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 7.1% of adults in the U.S. experience at least one episode of depression each year. This is equivalent to around 17.3 million adults in the United States.

Thehigh prevalence rate of depressionmeans that there are many people going through a similar experience right now. Everyone experiences depression differently, but other people may recognize how you are feeling and empathize with your struggles.

There are also many others who have experienced depression at some point in their lives. Research suggests that around 20% of all people will have at least one episode of depression during their lifetime.

沮丧can be isolating, but it’s important to remember that it’s not unusual and that you are not alone in how you are feeling.

重新考虑你对抑郁症的信念

不幸的是,有很多stigma周围的心理健康问题,如抑万博手机客户端郁,焦虑和其他疾病。你可以减少尴尬或羞耻感的一种方法是重新考虑你对抑郁症的一些信念。

For example, people sometimes believe that depression is a choice or something that they can simply think their way out of. This ignores the underlying causes of depression and trivializes the very real nature of the condition.

One way that you can do this is by learning more about depression itself. Exploring informative resources that are aimed at reducing stigma can help you learn more about the symptoms, causes, and treatments for depressive disorders.

Find Someone to Talk To

这是可以理解的,你可能不想告诉每个人你知道你感到沮丧。这是一个敏感的问题,与其他健康状况一样,这是您可能想要保密的事情。

但这并不意味着您需要将其保留在锁和钥匙下。事实上,研究发现了社会支持can protect against symptoms of depression.

你决定分享多少取决于您的个人舒适程度,但有人交谈很重要。可以提供支持的知名人士可能包括:

  • A friend
  • A family member
  • A co-worker
  • 你的搭档
  • 一个神职人员
  • An online friend
  • 心理万博手机客户端健康专业

If you feel like you need someone to talk to but aren’t sure who to share with, consider reaching out to a depression helpline. You can talk to a trained counselor who can listen, offer advice, give you helpful information, and connect you with treatment options in your area.

表现出自己的同情心

我们往往比我们在家庭,朋友或陌生人上更难。如果你能够怜悯你的抑郁症,试着记住善良。如果别人遇到同样的事情,你会如何回应?

The nature of depression can makeself-compassion更加困难。消极的想法,莫低od, fatigue, and lack of motivation mean that self-care is simply not a top priority.

即使它很难,承认你正在挣扎。给自己时间和空间来治愈,没有过度预期的负担。无论他们看起来多么小,他们每天都会庆祝你的胜利。

Understand Depression Doesn’t Need a Reason

人们拥有的一个常见误解是一个人must have a “reason” to be depressed。虽然这在从未经历过萧条的人中特别常见,但您可能会发现自己沿着类似的线路思考。你可能担心其他人会看着你,并认为你有一个伟大的生活 - 那么为什么你会郁闷?

For someone who has a home, family, friends, work, and hobbies, they may not only feel that they have no reason to feel the way they do, they may even feel that they have noright沮丧。毕竟,有些人似乎有更糟糕的事情。

But there is not a hierarchy of pain.比较你的感受or life to someone else’s isn’t helpful.

现实是任何人都可以体验抑郁症。一个人是多么成功,他们是多么受欢迎,或者他们有多少钱。它不需要艰难的生活,压力,创伤或困难的关系。

Instead of trying to find reasons to justify your symptoms, focus on learning more about thecauses of depression。Genetic predisposition, brain structure, and brain chemistry are all non-modifiable risk factors that can contribute to the onset of depression.

请记住,你应该得到帮助

Feelings of embarrassment about your depression can make it more difficult to get the help that you need.

你可能不会寻求治疗,因为:

  • You think that other people won’t understand
  • 你害怕被评判
  • You don’t want people to find out you feel depressed
  • You feel like your symptoms aren’t “bad” enough
  • 你认为你不值得帮助

你应该知道的是这 - 每个人都应该得到帮助。虽然你可能已经尝试了许多方法来自己管理你的症状,但与你的医生谈论你的感受如何帮助你得到你需要更好的感觉。

If you or a loved one are struggling with depression, contact the药物滥用和心理健康服务管理局(Samhs万博手机客户端a)国家帮助热线at1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

为了更多的心理健康万博手机客户端资源,看看我们的National Helpline Database

A Word From Verywell

重要的是要记住,感到羞耻,内疚和尴尬并不少见。虽然可能需要时间,提醒自己,你的感受是有效的很重要。承认这些情绪,然后开始采取小步骤,了解你的心理健康方式如何思考和感受。万博手机客户端

Learning more about depression, seeking professional treatment, and taking care of yourself are important steps toward feeling less uneasy and self-conscious about your condition.

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  2. Hasin DS,Sarvet Al,Meyers JL等人。Epidemiology of adult dsm-5 major depressive disorder and its specifiers in the united states贾马精神病学。2018;75(4):336. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.4602

  3. Ioannou M,Kassianos AP,Symeou M.应对年轻成年人的抑郁症状:感知社会支持仅在中等压力水平下保护抑郁症状Front Psychol。2019; 9:2780。2019年1月14日发布.DOI:10.3389 / FPSYG.2018.02780