Mental Health Stigma and Seven Ways to Heal Depression

Introduction

Society has taken great strides in removing the stigma that is associated with mental illness, but there is still more that has to be done for people that are suffering with depression to find the courage to seek help. 

Rather than seeing depression as an illness there are still many people that see it as a personal weakness which leads to shame and self-harm from those suffering from it1.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, stigma can worsen symptoms and reduce the likelihood of getting treatment for mental disorders1.

Negative effects of stigma include1:

Spending more time alone. Regularly isolating yourself from others due to feelings of sadness and shame.

Low self-esteem. If you are holding onto negative beliefs about yourself and do not see yourself capable of success.

Negative self-talk. Belittling yourself or having an inferior complex.

Pessimistic point-of-view of the future. Loss of hope for the future or assuming the worst will happen to you.

Emotional outbursts. Emotional outbursts can happen at work, school, or home. This can cause the individual to suffer more stress and shame after emotional outbursts.

Signs of Depression

People who have been stigmatized will often bottle up their emotions due to shame and fear of being judged for their mental health struggles. However, that will only worsen the situation. 

Depression is an illness that won’t just going away on its own. It requires attention and care from a mental health professional.

Stigma stems from not knowing or understanding a particular subject. Therefore, it is important to be informed on the topic of depression to prevent misunderstandings and stigma1.

Depression Symptoms₂:

Losing interest in activities we love. Sometimes things come up when you cannot make it to a social event, or your favorite hobby because of an appointment or meeting. However, those with depression no longer have the desire to participate in activities they normally would love doing due to feelings of sadness or worthlessness.

Dis-regulated sleeping patterns. Those suffering from depression can experience feeling like they did not get enough sleep even if they got 7-8 hours of sleep. Or it could be the opposite, although they did not get to sleep well and are feeling tired, they cannot fall asleep.

Binge eating or loss of appetite. Similar to sleep those with depression can binge eat or eat less, or not at all.

Numbness/ feelings of emptiness. When we cannot feel anything or we feel numb this is a sign of depression. Feelings of emptiness or worthlessness are also signs of depression.

Loss of energy. This can be more than feeling fatigued on a regular basis. It can also be a loss of motivation in our daily activities.

Dear Anxious Person, No One Hates You, You Hate Yourself.

Remedies for Depression

While there is no cure for depression there are things someone who is suffering with depression can do to find some relief.

Mental health care methods:

• Having people who support you
• Journaling
• Therapy
• Don’t stop doing things you love (find every way to participate in them)
• Use alone time for self-care
• Practicing gratitude
• Creative endeavors
• Physical movement

Having people who support you

People with depression will isolate themselves, or worse, try pushing everyone away; not wanting to “burden” anyone with their problems. In turn, they will feel that no one cares or understands them, and ultimately will feel more alone. 

Contrary to these negative beliefs there are people who want to offer their support, even if it feels like no one understands them deep down.

For someone suffering with these negative beliefs, that no one will understand or care, it is extremely hard to develop an emotional support network. It can be because of a lack of trust or not enough interaction to have anyone involved in their life.

It will take a mixture of time and courage to reach out for help or to accept help from others. However, one should not isolate themselves too long. It’s best to reach out to someone trustworthy about what’s been going on.

Talking to a friend, or family member, or therapist, or calling your nearest warm/hot-line can be a reminder that there are people who care and would love to offer support for those having mental health struggles.

Journaling

Journaling is another way to find relief when battling with mental illness. Journaling is the freedom to pour out the scrabbled thoughts and feelings out of the mind and body and to put it onto paper or a canvas.

Writing, painting, or drawing are a only a few ways to journal. You could also try recording voice memos or a video diary. There is no one way to journal; choose a way that works and feels right to you. The idea is to allow yourself to feel your emotions in a manageable way.

When you put a date on your journals you create a timeline of where you were, how you felt, what happened, etc. of your life. You’ll be able to see how much you’ve persevered! This can feel rewarding and encouraging. As well as, looking back on lessons that we learned from our adversities.

Therapy

Talk therapy can help individuals suffering from a mental disorder or trauma related issues. A certified professional can help aid someone towards healing and relief. 

It may feel out-of-place to tell a stranger your inner thoughts or personal experiences, but the therapist has received training to understand how psychological and cognitive behaviors work.

It might take time to open up to the idea of going to therapy, or maybe, you’re finding it difficult feeling connected with a therapist in your past appointments.

Ensuring there is adequate mental health services available for everyone is still a work progress. However, there are plenty of mental health resources available to search for a therapist near you, or finding a therapist online, such as BetterHelp.

Don’t stop doing what you love. (Find every way to participate!)

People living with depression will lose the desire of joining activities they love to do. Depression can feel like we’re a bird locked in a cage.

However, the things we love to do gives us joy, a drive, and a sense of purpose. That’s why it’s important to find a way to participate in the activities we love.

Incorporating the support network with this remedy can be a powerful tool to keep us hopeful that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Use alone time for self care

Being alone doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. We can use this time productively than only binge watching our Netflix shows and ordering DoorDash to avoid human contact.

We can use alone time for self care. It could be something simple like putting away the dishes or throwing away the trash. For larger tasks like if there is a deadline approaching, the alone time can be used to making progress to meet the deadline.

This remedy can change the perspective of thinking alone time is “lonely,” to feeling “renewed,” or “accomplished.”

Practice Gratitude

It is something that should go without saying, but it’s something that is easily forgotten. That is gratitude. When we focus on what we do have rather than what we don’t have we can develop resilience. 

This can be tough when we are going through so many hard things at once. People experience war, loss of a job, divorce, terminal illness, natural disasters, etc. It can be difficult to find even one thing to be grateful for.

Writing down three things to be grateful for can feel like a challenge, but as you keep it up it will flow naturally eventually.

12 Ways to Practice Gratitude for Ordinary Things

Creative Endeavors

Using creativity for healing is a powerful tool. Creative outlets allow us to channel complex emotions in a constructive way, helping to lift the weight of depressive feelings. 

For instance, writing lets you articulate your emotions and release mental burdens, while photography captures beauty, often bringing a renewed perspective. 

Pursuing new creative endeavors can open a positive path that strengthens resilience, adding new meaning and purpose to life.

Physical Movement

A Ted Talk given by Leon Taylor says, “we spend too much time stuck in our head and not enough time in our bodies3.” Mr. Taylor advocated that to manage our mental health we should be more physically active in our daily lives. 

Physical movement immediately changes our state, boosts our mood, and it release the stressors trapped in our bodies (Tedx Talks, 2018). Long term benefits of consistent physical movement are: change the structure of our brain, boosts self esteem, and decreases our biological reaction to physiological stress (Tedx Talks, 2018).

Conclusion

Depression, like any other condition, needs consistent care and attention. Embracing support, creative pursuits, and self-care practices can make a meaningful difference on the path to recovery. 

Healing isn’t linear, but by integrating these remedies, you empower yourself to face each day with resilience. Remember, taking small steps toward mental health care is an accomplishment worth celebrating—hope and growth are always within reach.

Citations

1: American Psychiatric Association. (n.d.). Stigma, prejudice and discrimination against people with mental illness. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/stigma-and-discrimination

2: Mental Health America. (n.d.). Depression. https://mhanational.org/conditions/depression

3: Tedx Talks. (2018, July 19). How to manage your mental health | Leon Taylor | TEDxClapham [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/rkZl2gsLUp4.