grumble-not-a-rant

[lagilman]

Today, I am fighting off the urge to explain to people the difference between depression ("I'm feeling depressed about that,") and Depression, the clinical state. Confusing them does nobody any good - you can't "make someone feel better" when they have Depression.

On the other hand, scolding someone who is talking about depression for not using the proper terms of Depression doesn't do anyone any good, either. Because people DO get depressed for reasons that have nothing to do with the chemical causes of Depression, and they shouldn't be made to feel worse because someone else thinks only in terms of the clinical form and penalizes all others to the point of abusing a person who's already feeling bad.

Should there be different common terms for the clinical and non-clinical state? Possibly. Until then, can we at least read the context before we go off on someone for using the terms? Sometimes "I'm depressed" just means they're (justifiably) depressed. Not that they have Depression.

Eeyore thanks you.


(this grumble brought to you by somebody else's rant on Tumblr)

Comments

[elsceetaria.livejournal.com]

I agree completely. I've had several points when I'm describing a character as displaying the symptoms of Depression, and my adviser will comment are you saying they display the symptoms of clinical depression/MDD. TO this, I try to revise so it is obvious that I believe the character displays traits readers may identify as the character having a clinical issue, or Depression. My thesis, after all, is on using YA speculative literature about mental illness as bibliotherapy. The clinical is of much greater interest to me.

Personally, depression and Depression tend to blend together thanks to a Heinz 57 mix of different mental illnesses. When I see it in others, I try to read the situation and be supportive regardless of whether or not I can ascertain which is going on. Telling someone to just pull themselves up by their bootstraps is offensive even if it is just depression. I'd rather just be their friend.

Overall, I do believe this is one of the points in which the English language has failed us in terms of ambiguity.