DEPRESSION
DURHAM- “Usually the people who romanticize it eclipse the people who actually need help,” says Meredith Goyette, on the online glorification of one of the most prevalent, and debilitating mental illnesses. Depression is a mental illness that can cause the victim to have a consistently depressed mood, lose interest in daily activities, and a variety of other symptoms. The illness is becoming more widely spoken about more than ever amongst adolescents. However, what they have to say has quickly turned from spreading awareness, to the avid romanticization of the disorder, which causes people to perceive depression in an unrealistic sense. While adolescents have started idealizing the illness on the internet, depression is not …show more content…
“I think it’s sad people would do that, and in a bigger context there may be issues they don’t know they have,” says Susan Hess, a psychology professor at UNH, about those who romanticize the illness on social media. “Why are they lured in - it’s complicated, the act of doing that, how does that serve them? They could connect around a lot of other things, but why mental illness?”
For those who do have diagnosable depression, the romanticization can be painful for them to witness. “It honestly makes me sad, because people don’t realize how terrible depression really is,” says AJ Willard, a sophomore at Phillips Exeter Academy, who suffers from depression. “I really wouldn’t wish it on anyone.” The romanticization is not only harmful to those genuinely suffering from depression, but also to those who aren’t. “[It] prevented me from understanding what depression really was until I personally met and got to know people with depression,” says Hanna Pak, a neurotypical sophomore at Phillips Exeter …show more content…
“I think many may not know the other side of having mental illness,” says Professor Hess. “I don’t think there’s a lot of open knowledge about it,” says Pak. “I think those who understand mental illness know about their privilege. If you don’t understand it, then you can’t compare yourself to anything.” While the romanticization of depression still has a sizable impact on how people perceive the illness, there are other ways people are stepping up recently to talk about depression, that can help people see the illness more realistically. “It’s been getting better over the past few years,” says Katie Goyette, the 16 year old sister of Meredith Goyette. “Maybe I’ve just become more aware, but I’ve seen a lot more activism in the past 3-4 years.” When it comes to the future of how people see and talk about depression, Meredith Goyette says, “I think people should talk about mental illnesses more. To really talk through it makes it easier to deal with, and easier to understand and help people understand that it can be recovered from.” She adds, “People affected can recover and they do recover. It shouldn’t be kept all hush
DURHAM- “Usually the people who romanticize it eclipse the people who actually need help,” says Meredith Goyette, on the online glorification of one of the most prevalent, and debilitating mental illnesses. Depression is a mental illness that can cause the victim to have a consistently depressed mood, lose interest in daily activities, and a variety of other symptoms. The illness is becoming more widely spoken about more than ever amongst adolescents. However, what they have to say has quickly turned from spreading awareness, to the avid romanticization of the disorder, which causes people to perceive depression in an unrealistic sense. While adolescents have started idealizing the illness on the internet, depression is not …show more content…
“I think it’s sad people would do that, and in a bigger context there may be issues they don’t know they have,” says Susan Hess, a psychology professor at UNH, about those who romanticize the illness on social media. “Why are they lured in - it’s complicated, the act of doing that, how does that serve them? They could connect around a lot of other things, but why mental illness?”
For those who do have diagnosable depression, the romanticization can be painful for them to witness. “It honestly makes me sad, because people don’t realize how terrible depression really is,” says AJ Willard, a sophomore at Phillips Exeter Academy, who suffers from depression. “I really wouldn’t wish it on anyone.” The romanticization is not only harmful to those genuinely suffering from depression, but also to those who aren’t. “[It] prevented me from understanding what depression really was until I personally met and got to know people with depression,” says Hanna Pak, a neurotypical sophomore at Phillips Exeter …show more content…
“I think many may not know the other side of having mental illness,” says Professor Hess. “I don’t think there’s a lot of open knowledge about it,” says Pak. “I think those who understand mental illness know about their privilege. If you don’t understand it, then you can’t compare yourself to anything.” While the romanticization of depression still has a sizable impact on how people perceive the illness, there are other ways people are stepping up recently to talk about depression, that can help people see the illness more realistically. “It’s been getting better over the past few years,” says Katie Goyette, the 16 year old sister of Meredith Goyette. “Maybe I’ve just become more aware, but I’ve seen a lot more activism in the past 3-4 years.” When it comes to the future of how people see and talk about depression, Meredith Goyette says, “I think people should talk about mental illnesses more. To really talk through it makes it easier to deal with, and easier to understand and help people understand that it can be recovered from.” She adds, “People affected can recover and they do recover. It shouldn’t be kept all hush