Depression is one of the most misunderstood diseases in all of history. It is sometimes referred to as the "no casserole" disease because people who have depression often don't receive the casseroles you would get if you had any other life-threatening illness, like cancer. Often people don't want to do or say the wrong thing, so instead they do nothing when it comes to depression. The thing that people often misunderstand is that if everyone does nothing, the person who is depressed will only feel more isolated and alone. Perhaps before we get too far into things I should explain what I mean by "depression." I'm not talking about the kid who dropped his ice cream cone on the ground and feels "depressed." I'm talking about the mental illness that kills slowly from the inside out. This kind of depression leaves its victims so hopeless that they would do just about anything to feel even the slightest flicker of hope again. This kind of depression can leave you bedridden for days or even weeks at a time. It feels as though you have walked into a cave and someone has just sealed the entrance. All the light is gone and hope is nowhere to be found. Depression is the type of illness that needs to be dealt with in a community; each member of this community should surround the individual and shower them with love and support. This comes in the form of spending time with the person, getting to know their story better, asking them if there's anything you can do for them, and yes, sometimes it requires you to make a casserole. See, the thing about depression is that you often feel like no one cares and that even if you asked for help, no one would actually be willing to help. It's things like making the depressed person feel loved, understood, and supported that takes the power out of depression. So go do some research to find out more about depression and how to interact with someone who is depressed. Pick up a book on depression and try to understand it more. Do a Google search on "how to help someone with depression" and see what you find. Because I can guarantee that doing nothing will never be helpful, but taking small steps to try and help someone just might actually help.
