Thoughts about depression

Suicides, self-inflicting pains, feelings of hopelessness, inferiority, and a continuous and seemingly endless battle between man and himself. You just cannot be certain how depression can affect a person.

Based merely on observation, most millennials are facing this same struggle. There has already been a lot of victims of depression and it is a matter that should never be ignored. While some people are dismissing the matter at hand in a seemingly dangerous manner, there is always going to be a community that would try to educate others about it and even discourage anything of the like to happen again. Just like what has happened only recently in the longest running noontime show, Eat Bulaga, during one of their segments, Joye de Leon, one of its veteran hosts has released a statement about depression being a "make-up story and that it is only for the rich to have. If the poor have it, then there's no hope at all."

This has, in fact, made a noise in the social media especially that a lot of people have been suffering the same and the matter being downplayed at that ould only cause danger to them. How? Such derogatory statement dismisses the issue on depression and those who are suffering from it may be even more discouraged of living especially if they would feel like they do not matter, and that they are just useless, hopeless, misunderstood, and whatnot. Thus, resulting to an even stronger urge to end their lives.

Depression is not a joke. It should not be a laughing stock. This should be taken seriously and those who are showing signs that they are suffering from it should be guided accordingly. There are a number of victims who have fallen prey for it already. There have been so many lives wasted because of depression. We should take action on this.

For starters, each one of us can be the listening friend to somebody who wants to open up. We can also minimize, if not fully put an end, on the insensitive comments, posts, and discussion regarding depression. We should be sensitive enough to know that a depressed person out there could actually have an access to your posts, especially on social media where it can be considered as the melting pot of most people in this generation.

The government should not rest easy on this matter, too. It is definitely crucial for them to actually make an action in order to discourage anybody from criticizing and discriminating those who are suffering from depression. Programs and seminars should be conducted at least once a month in order to let the public be aware of what is happening in the society. There should also be support systems where the victims of depression can have an access to it when they need to open up, and the counselling staff can also help prevent any further cases of suicide or self-harm.

These are the possible ways to counter depression and protect the well-being of this country. There can be so much more ways, too, that have not been mentioned. But that does not mean that it cannot be done. With the support that the government can get from the citizens of this country who would also want to end the downplaying of depression and approach it as a serious topic, the solutions that will be established can definitely promote the greater good of the society.