Myths and Facts about Depression and Suicide

❌ Myth: Depression affects the mentally weak. ✔ Fact: Depression can affect anyone regardless of mental strength. When depression occurs, mental strength is irrelevant. It's like you can have a bodybuilder physique, but you are paralyzed.

❌ Myth: One can't be depressed if (s)he has good health, lots of money, fame, friends. ✔ Fact: "Depression is the inability to construct a future." - Rollo May". External pleasures become irrelevant during a depressive episode.

❌ Myth: Depression is the cause of suicide. ✔ Fact: Often, depression alone may not lead to suicide. There may be co-morbidities or misdiagnoses for mood disorders (e.g., Bipolar disorder), Personality Disorders (e.g., Borderline Personality Disorder), or Psychotic Disorders (e.g., Schizoaffective disorder). All disorders and/or their co-morbidities should be diagnosed and catered to, properly.

❌ Myth: Positive quotes, positive nudging by people, comparison to even more unfortunate people can help people snap out of depression. ✔ Fact: During depressive episodes, Positive quotes are just a rearrangement of words - the cognitive appraisal system is often simply unable to decode or relate. Positive nudging, e.g., "snap out if it" - are equivalent to telling the pancreas of a Type I diabetic to "produce more insulin!" Comparison to unfortunate people increases guilt and pessimism.

❌ Myth: Depression is just sadness. ✔ Fact: Depression causes low mood all day, inability to feel pleasure, irritability, reslessness, weight loss/gain, psychomotor retardation, appetite decrease/increase, altered sleep, pessimism, guilt, loss of sex drive, fatigue, lack of concentration, 'mind fog, muscular pain.'

❌ Myth: Depression can be cured by positive and encouraging people around, without professional help. ✔ Fact: Depression can be managed to euthymic levels by Counselling and Psychotherapy (CBT, REBT, DBT, IPSRT) and/or medications (SSRI, SNRI, TCAd, Mood stabilizers), lifestyle modification, AND a combination of an inspiring and encouraging support system.

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