{"id":34,"date":"2015-11-13T16:17:13","date_gmt":"2015-11-13T16:17:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yadrachelnj.org\/blog\/?p=34"},"modified":"2024-03-06T17:29:44","modified_gmt":"2024-03-06T17:29:44","slug":"dealing-with-depression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yadrachelnj.org\/dealing-with-depression\/","title":{"rendered":"Dealing with Depression"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

There is a world of difference between clinical depression and having a bad day.<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

When I was a young rabbi and I first encountered someone with depression, I vividly remember thinking to myself, why can\u2019t he just snap out of it? What does he mean when he says he sleeps most of the day and can\u2019t concentrate on anything? We are all tired and dealing with stress. Just resolve to get out of bed and get going. I remember not being able to understand why he was so depressed. After all, by all measures, his life was pretty good. If he were to just focus on the blessings and simply choose to be positive, he wouldn\u2019t be depressed at all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Looking back, I am incredibly grateful that I didn\u2019t articulate any of these sentiments to him, but nevertheless, I feel ashamed and even guilty for having being so ignorant and insensitive to what depression is all about.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

We perpetrate a terrible disservice by using the exact same word to describe how we feel when our favorite team gets knocked out of the playoffs or when our cell phone breaks, and a chemical, clinical illness that can be debilitating and incapacitating.\u00a0Clinical depression<\/a>\u00a0is not about feeling blue, or down in the dumps or terribly sad. It is a serious illness that can be the result of a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Depression is no more the fault of the person suffering with it than cancer or Alzheimer\u2019s are the fault of someone suffering with one of those conditions. Just as the patient with cancer cannot simply will his or her cancer away and the individual with Alzheimer\u2019s cannot simply determine to stop forgetting, the person with depression cannot just decide to not feel anxious, worthless, or exhausted. It is terribly unfortunate and unacceptable that depression remains stigmatized even today. Having a physical illness can be awkward, but should not be a source of embarrassment or guilt. Similarly, having depression, equally out of one\u2019s control, should not be a source of shame or inadequacy.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If you are experiencing the symptoms of depression like decreased appetite, inability to sleep or excessive sleeping, restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, or thoughts of death, I urge you to seek support. If you recently had a baby and despite the newfound blessing you just can\u2019t get yourself out of your rut, you may be suffering from postpartum depression. You are not the first person to experience this, and you have nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about. Please don\u2019t hesitate to reach out to a local Rabbi or Rebbetzin who will guide you to the resources and people that can help you without judgment.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Like any illness, depression requires diagnosis, intervention, and treatment. Like all illnesses it also requires the love, patience, understanding, and support of family and friends. However, for the most part, while people extend themselves remarkably to cook meals, shop for groceries, babysit children, or even just send a thoughtful text to check in on someone recovering from cancer or another physical condition, the person with depression or another mental health diseases often feels isolated, alone, neglected, and ignored.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a perfect time to educate ourselves. As we resolve to be more sensitive, please consider the following:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n