Tasteless
Active Member
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2011
- Messages
- 340
- Gender
- Undisclosed
- HSC
- 2003
I'm sorry for what you are experiencing and your situation but I just want to point out that 'depression' - the mental illness which is sustained dejection over a considerable period of time, is not the same thing as when someone says they are feeling depressed (sad/down/upset) at a particular instance in time.
It's totally fine to say "I'm feeling depressed about X" which in a matter of minutes/hours/days has faded into the abyss and you've returned to feeling content or better. It's just a way of describing the emotional state one is currently experiencing as one of extreme sadness (usually about something in particular).
That's not the equivalent of saying "I have depression [the ongoing mental illness] for any or no given reason" (as I understand a sufferer identifying any particular reason for it would be pretty uncommon).
With your mum though, does she conflate all mental illnesses? Extreme and harmful mental illnesses I would definitely agree with her re: "freaks and people you should never look at nor associate yourself with", but SA and depression are (almost always) not the kinds of mental illnesses that should elicit that kind of response. Have you tried to educate her on the fact that they are mental illnesses and have definitions which you meet? It is awful that she's trying to deny it or minimise the severity though, a mother should absolutely not behave in that way to her own child, especially if you've tried to show her that it is legitimate.
"I just sit there quietly and try not to say anything to counter what she says because god knows what would happen then" I really think you need to have an honest discussion with her about the nature of mental illnesses and what you are experiencing. You even say it yourself "I really hope things change and people really need to be educated about mental illnesses".
It's painful enough to have depression, but for your mother to be so unsympathetic as to deny your feelings are real and call you lazy, I can't imagine how shit that must be.
As for getting help is there a school or uni counselor you can see? I know it's a common response but I know people who have been helped significantly just from this or a subsequent referral on to a therapist.
It's totally fine to say "I'm feeling depressed about X" which in a matter of minutes/hours/days has faded into the abyss and you've returned to feeling content or better. It's just a way of describing the emotional state one is currently experiencing as one of extreme sadness (usually about something in particular).
That's not the equivalent of saying "I have depression [the ongoing mental illness] for any or no given reason" (as I understand a sufferer identifying any particular reason for it would be pretty uncommon).
With your mum though, does she conflate all mental illnesses? Extreme and harmful mental illnesses I would definitely agree with her re: "freaks and people you should never look at nor associate yourself with", but SA and depression are (almost always) not the kinds of mental illnesses that should elicit that kind of response. Have you tried to educate her on the fact that they are mental illnesses and have definitions which you meet? It is awful that she's trying to deny it or minimise the severity though, a mother should absolutely not behave in that way to her own child, especially if you've tried to show her that it is legitimate.
"I just sit there quietly and try not to say anything to counter what she says because god knows what would happen then" I really think you need to have an honest discussion with her about the nature of mental illnesses and what you are experiencing. You even say it yourself "I really hope things change and people really need to be educated about mental illnesses".
It's painful enough to have depression, but for your mother to be so unsympathetic as to deny your feelings are real and call you lazy, I can't imagine how shit that must be.
As for getting help is there a school or uni counselor you can see? I know it's a common response but I know people who have been helped significantly just from this or a subsequent referral on to a therapist.