Quote:
Originally posted by AGDee
What the article neglects to mention is that young adulthood is the typical age of onset for mental illnesses such as Major Depression, Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia.
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How very true, unfortunately.
I started feeling "not myself" in late adolescence, and it wasn't until I was in my late 20s and some things in my life started feeling awry that I finally was diagnosed with depression.
What's horrible about depression (and probably other disorders) is you can *always* (usually) attribute some of its symptoms to something else...I never would've dreamed in a million years I was depressed! I just thought I felt the way I did because:
I was tired
I had a stressful job
My life was too fast-paced so I had no energy
I just "didn't like" going out as much as other people
I just needed a good night's sleep
I was irritated because other people were frustrating me
I wasn't happy with my romantic relationship
I hated where I lived
I felt temporarily "overwhelmed" and it would pass
Etc...etc...etc...you fill in the blank!!
Admittedly, those are all legitimate reasons to feel unhappy with life, but depression is sneaky and you think "Well if A, B, or C just happens, then I'll feel better." But whether or not those things happen, you still don't feel good. You have to treat the depression first, and then maybe you'll feel better about A, B, or C!
Sadly, I have found that those who seem to struggle the most are the MOST LIKELY to be in denial about it and the LEAST LIKELY to get or seek help - perhaps due to the stigma of mental health mentioned earlier, who knows? It's just frustrating to see that happen. I don't really care if others know it's something I've struggled with. In fact, if the appropriate opportunity presents itself, I'll mention it, and someone will usually pull me aside later and ask me questions or want to talk about it, so it's nice to try to be helpful that way.