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

Re:

[jaylake.livejournal.com]

Well, it's certainly a diagnosis... ;)