As usual I found out about popular news on Facebook. The talk of the afternoon was that Robin Williams died. At first I thought maybe it was a hoax like when the rumors were circulating that Jon Bon Jovi died. But when I went to yahoo there was a breaking news alert stating that he did pass away today from a suicide.
It was so sad. The reason why I am writing about it tonight is because I feel compelled to share that people are ashamed of battling depression. Just today I was talking to my sister (before we heard of the news) and she mentioned to me that depression is a disease. Many diseases are treated with medications such as heart disease thyroid disease and people aren’t charged for one people are battling with depression it’s a much quieter matter. It is treated more privately by those suffering from it. I think people suffering it are ashamed or don’t want to be judged. In my opinion I think there is a stigma around anxiety or depression disorders. Very intelligent, professional, wise people may be suffering from it but keep it under wraps because they don’t want their careers affected by it. Meanwhile all of those emotions are bottled up maybe not being treated.
It is ok to ask for help. It is ok to get treatment. If you have high blood pressure you take medication to fix it. It you have thyroid problems you take medication to fix. But I feel that people don’t get help for depression because they will have to take medication for it. The fear of being on antidepressants because of stigma is sad. I hope if anything positive can come from Robin Williams’ death it is the awareness that depression can be treated. You can get help and you don’t have to go through it alone.