Depression is a significant health condition everyone should try to understand. But despite its common occurrence, many people still aren’t fully aware of its symptoms and effects on one’s mental health. It’s important that we address these awareness issues to prevent discrimination and avoid clinical depression cases. If you or a loved one needs treatment for depression, please contact our women’s treatment center in North Carolina today at 855.773.0614.
What Is Depression Awareness?
National Depression Awareness Week is a yearly celebration that happens in the first week of May. This celebration promotes discussion on the issues associated with this mental health condition. The goals of National Depression Awareness Week include:
- Public education on its symptoms and causes
- Promote treatment options
- Encourage individuals to seek help
- Awareness of the effects of social stigma
- Discourage discrimination
- Activate internal positivity and motivation to battle mental health conditions
You and the people around you can anytime experience depression. So, it’s essential to promote a better understanding of this mental condition to prevent discrimination, and in some cases, deadly consequences.
Prevent the Spread of Stigma
The barriers that hinder people from seeking help include social stigma, hatred, and discrimination. One of the main objectives of National Depression Awareness Week is to disperse information that educates the community about these barriers. These efforts hope that the community will stop negatively reacting to those with depression.
Encourage Help
If a person experiences hatred from others, they’re bound to feel negative about themselves. If you feel negative about yourself, you will feel discouraged from sharing these thoughts and reaching out for help. Secrecy can eventually lead you to self-harm or self-medicate through drugs and alcohol.
On a positive note, a person would most likely seek help if given support and genuine empathy. Awareness week can encourage people suffering from depression that their condition is not something to be ashamed of. Instead, it’s a condition where asking for help is the right thing to do.
Build Social Support
National Depression Awareness Week is a time when a network of social support is most accessible. If someone feels that help is available, reaching out becomes easier. A supportive environment not only encourages depression treatment, but it also fosters depression prevention through companionship and trusted relationships.
Spreads Important Knowledge
People struggling with depression are commonly judged and thought of as weak individuals who can’t cope with stress. However, this is nothing but a complete myth.
Depression isn’t something you can control or command to stop because you want to. It’s an excessive feeling of emptiness and hopelessness that needs professional help.
Awareness week has the goal of informing everyone that mental health conditions are beyond a person’s control. This focus should be spread to home and work environments, where social stigma is most likely present. Through awareness campaigns, families and bosses can have a better understanding of mental health conditions. Then, they can learn what they can do to support people facing these challenges.
How You Can Reach Out for Help
It is unfortunate that society often reacts to depression as a mental issue that is only for the weak. Coping with stress and the condition is hard, and it’s definitely not for the weak.
But you can reach out for treatment and help. You don’t always have to deal with it alone. Begin with reaching out to a physician. After your diagnosis, expect a treatment plan that includes a program for psychotherapy and medication. At our women’s treatment center, we use a wide array of holistic and evidence-based therapies, including:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Dialectical behavior therapy
- Adventure therapy
- Gardening therapy
- Family therapy
Help for Depression is Available at The Willows at Red Oak Recovery
While the nationwide presence of the National Depression Awareness Week is helpful, it only exists in the first week of May. But that doesn’t mean help is only available at that time of the year. You can count on receiving effective depression treatment at The Willows at Red Oak Recovery any time of the year. Contact The Willows at Red Oak at 855.773.0614 to find out more about how we can help.
