[MP-Ryan]

The regular readers of Popehat will already be familiar with this piece, but everyone else should read it too: http://popehat.com/2015/05/21/happy-to-be-here/

[The E]

It's a really really good post that should be read.

[Grizzly]

It takes massive balls to be honest about your own flaws.

[Flipside]

It is surprisingly accurate, especially about that feeling of dread in the stomach whenever you face something demanding. You have to fight a battle just to be ready to fight a battle, as it were.

[headdie]

Very interesting read, thanks for pointing it out MP-Ryan

[General Battuta]

Depression owned me when I was at peak life achievement and I almost killed myself for no sensible reason. Get help. Don't pretend you can tough it out alone.

[The E]

That's the hardest part about living and dealing with it. It will hit you no matter what your life is like at that moment.

[Vrets]

Get help. Don't pretend you can tough it out alone.

It seems intuitive to tell a depressed individual to get help...but I would imagine that the consequences of seeking help could, in a person's mind, outweigh the benefits of having the help. I would be afraid of the repercussions of having "known depressed individual" come up on some background check, and give people the impression that I am not able to function in the workplace.

[karajorma]

You should be more worried about having "known dead individual" coming up, because that is a fairly likely outcome.

But yeah, most people worry about completely the wrong thing.

[The E]

It seems intuitive to tell a depressed individual to get help...but I would imagine that the consequences of seeking help could, in a person's mind, outweigh the benefits of having the help. I would be afraid of the repercussions of having "known depressed individual" come up on some background check, and give people the impression that I am not able to function in the workplace.

I can tell you that being open about depression is far better than trying to keep it quiet. There is nothing more valuable than having people around you who know about your condition and who can see the signs and warn you. More often than not, slipping into depression is a gradual process that you are unaware of until you're too deep in it to do anything about it; having people around you asking whether you're OK and being honest to yourself about it is absolutely critical in steering away from the worst of it.

At the end of the day, being alive and able to stay alive is more important than being employed.

[headdie]

Been diagnosed with moderate anxiety and depression 3 years now and I still cant face talking about it to my parents, just one of those hangups I have though fortunately my wife and key friends know and try to be supportive about it.

Logically there is no repercussions from diagnosis and treatment, indeed because of that many if not most can can function in work with no appreciable impact on their work.

Your enemy when suffering is your own imagination creating things to fear, those fears are as numerous as there are sufferers.  Personally I am one who has prided myself on self reliance, being the guy that helps others, Normally I put myself last, so my anxiety and depression hits me with that when I reach out.  But reaching out to the docs has been the best thing I have done, sure I still have crap periods but they are not as long or as deep, my triggers are still there but most of the time I can recognize them and try to brace myself for them.

[Ghostavo]

A headhunter once told me to avoid mentioning depression on a job interview, unless directly asked about it, if asked about why I quit finishing a PhD program.

Take from that what you will.

[Bobboau]

not saying you are OK means having to deal with people.
being told you need to seek help can feel like 'I don't want to deal with you'.
warning a person that they might wind up dead isn't going to phase someone who is suicidal.
treating complex emotional problems like they have simple cookie cutter solutions is likely not going to have the desired outcome.

[Flipside]

The thing about depression is that there is always a part of you outside, watching and knowing what is happening, but is powerless to stop it.

The problem is that there is little you can say to a depressive about treating it that they are not telling themselves over and over anyway.

[Bobboau]

there is that too.

[Bobboau]

oh, and the "stay positive" advice that is received as "don't tell me about your problems"

[headdie]

oh, and the "stay positive" advice that is received as "don't tell me about your problems"

depends if you have talked through your problem with that person just before, I tend to find friends using that one a lot when we talk about what is on my mind

[General Battuta]

enm

[InsaneBaron]

Good article, Thanks MP. Bookmarking in case I/someone else needs it.

[Mars]

I'd say its never as easy as "being open" and "getting help." A lot of people are depressed to begin with because of how isolated they are.