Johannesburg - What would depression look like if it had a face? What would it look like if it had a character, a body, a life?
What would depression look like if it were your loved one?
On Monday, hundreds of Twitter users, young and old, delved into those questions through the trending topic under the hashtag #Mydepressionlookslike, hoping to demystify the myths about what a person with the mental disorder goes through and how they see the world.
They gave depression their faces.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, depression (major depressive disorder or clinical depression) is a common but serious mood disorder. It causes severe symptoms that affect how you feel, think and handle daily activities such a sleeping, eating or working.
Throughout the weekend and for most of Monday, Twitter users shared their experiences of depression and how it had changed their daily lives.
#mydepressionlookslike nothing. We hurt in silence.
— ☼ (@u8alyssa) May 24, 2016
@aliciaaadani tweeted: “#mydepressionlookslike not being able to get out of bed due to emotional exhaustion some days, while outsiders think you’re just simply lazy,” while @catholic_nun stated: “#mydepressionlookslike using humour and tweeting ironic nihilistic memes to mask the fact I wanna die.”
#mydepressionlookslike apparently nothing bc I'm African & anything that isn't physical pain isn't real
— ayo (@maintishe) May 24, 2016
Another Twitter user,@younggwhite, noted: “#my-depressionlookslike someone saying it’s not that deep - in response to something I’ve been internally struggling with for quite a while.”
For @pokpokofcolor, “my-depressionlookslike having to evaluate whether my problems are severe enough to ask for help because I don’t want to be a constant burden,” while@palomaxcordova said: “#mydepressionlookslike being told why are * sad? ur so pretty, but * have ppl (people) who love *! and feeling guilty for something I can’t help.”
@thvgshxt_ tweeted: “#mydepressionlookslike wishing everyone would leave me alone and at the same time, wishing someone would see me struggling.”
Martha Viljoen, programme manager for information and awareness at the SA Federation for Mental Health, said that anytime anyone spoke publicly, particularly on social networks, about mental disorders was “brilliant” as it helped to tackle the stigma around the disorders through public discourse.
About depression, she said: “It really is about the everyday stuff. Someone wrote, sleeping in on a beautiful day, and it speaks to the fact that people all around us are struggling, and despite this, they carry on.
“Public discourse, especially on Twitter, is the best way to combat the stigma of mental illness.”
The Star