I have been following this thread and it's quite interesting the different opinions people have on this issue so I felt like posting on the current discussion. I have personally been on both sides of this, the side where I gave unconditional support and encouragement and the side where I put my foot down and gave tough love. What everyone needs to understand is depression varies from person to person, it's not the same situation for everyone. Not every depressed person out there had a traumatic life or utter lack of support, love and at the same time, not every depressed person out there is mentally weak and a coward for not being able to handle it. I have seen people who wanted to kill themselves over some really silly things like not getting something they want or their favourite star did something they didn't approve of. In such situation, tough love is what is needed for the people because support won't get you anywhere.
In most cases in India, as I said before, getting help for mental health has a stigma attached to it and is looked down upon thus not many show support to helping a person like this. But I have also seen families who have given unconditional support and encouragement to make their loved one better yet the person still wouldn't get any better, no matter how much they tried it just didnt help. Depression is not always about lack of emotional support or problems, the person could have everything they wanted in life and still be depressed, in such cases you cannot blame anyone at all so it's better not to judge the family or friends because having a loved one suffering from a mental illness can be very stressful on the family as well. I have personally experienced being depressed and seeing a loved one going through severe bipolar depression and seen it happen to others, they try all that they can to help a person who is depressed or having a mental disorder but nothing seems to ever be good enough to stop them from contemplating suicide and ultimately the person who tries to support ends up feeling emotionally and mentally drained themselves.
Due to this some people end up having a mindset that depressed people are taking an easy way out when they have all the things they could possibly need and in some cases people just dont understand why they allow difficult problems to pull them in the route of suicide when others have managed to overcome it. The thing that these people need to understand is that a person suffering from depression has very different mind set than us who do not have depression, to give an example Depression is like the common cold of mental illnesses, You can be the most healthiest person in the world and still get a cold that will never leave until you take some action to cure your cold. Depression is the same, there maybe a reason or there may not, but it wont go away until and unless help is given or taken.
Which is why it's not a good idea to blame the person with depression or the people around them without knowing the whole story, rather it's better to spread awareness about it without being judgemental. In India, it's gonna take a long while for this happen because pretty much 90% don't consider depression an actual illness to be taken seriously thus the charges of doctors are high too so it's upto the govt and we, the people to educate others on this topic.
Edited by .Rinnie. - 9 years ago
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