As an Individual,mother,and women that lives with and battles mental health and chronic physical pain every day for years, I have heard some of the most unbelieveable things from others such as …
“You think you have it bad;someone has it much worst!”
Wow! now along with the unexplaineable emotional feelings you have going on inside your mind,now you have to take on the whole world’s distress as well. Now the individual that has made this statement does not understand the new concern they have planted in your head now. Not only are they saying to you,you have the audacity to complain or be depressed;they are saying your feelings dont matter and you need to play God and oversee the entire world’s distress and issues.
Depression is not just I am sad. Sadness is not depression or any other mental health illness. I am not going to break down what it is and what it is not because you can goggle the illness. Insensitivity and misunderstanding can be a couple reasons why society is still living in a fog.
Some other statements below can actually cause emotional harm as well…
“No one said life is easy!”
“Stop being lazy!”
“Pull yourself up from your bootstraps”!
“Arent you always depressed?”
Individuals living with mental health issues are not wanting sympathy or pity; we want understanding and compassion.
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The Writer's Healing Room 
How can individuals who suffer from depression expect “understanding” about a condition he/she does not have? The most these individuals can expect from non-suffers is a willingness to learn about depression and what he/she can do to help the suffer cope with it. As for compassion, well compassion is the same as “sympathy”. If depressed individuals don’t want sympathy then they shouldn’t expect compassion. Perhaps what these suffers really need is to be reassured that even though they’re depressed and suffering, they”re strong and powerful. Why? Because they have been given the burden and blessing of despondency. The burden is the emotional, mental, physical and spiritual low they experience and the blessing is these troopers have the ability to FEEL the world as it truly is. They’re don’t hide from the truth. And although this can be a very painful ability, it’s what makes them beautiful and unique.
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