- I am desperate, and my life is nothing but suffering and pain. Nothing will change. I am a burden on others. Death is better than life.
Remember that this is just one thought from the dark lenses of depression—thoughts we did not have before falling into the depression pit. And in a single day, we all receive nearly 50,000 dark negative thoughts, so should we believe them?
It is just a thought that the lens of depression uses to make us stop trying so we remain stuck in its pit for the rest of our lives.
- Depression is temporary and will go away on its own.
Depression is a scientifically proven disorder and requires treatment, and delaying treatment may increase its severity. Therefore, treatment must be sought to avoid worsening in the future.
- Treatment won’t work. I have attended several sessions with no benefit.
This is also a dark thought that naturally occurs through the lens of depression, because the lenses magnify even the smallest setbacks and shrink the biggest improvements. Always remember that the arrow of improvement with treatment is gradual and uneven, and what matters is sensing improvement no matter how small. That is what increases hope and increases effort with it. Feeling that there is a way out gives us the energy to continue trying. We must compare how we were to how we have become so we judge based on facts rather than believing dark thoughts. Also, knowing that what happened over months or years may take weeks to feel a difference is important—so keep going, and you will reach it, God willing.
- Antidepressants cause addiction.
This is a myth, and unfortunately common on social media. Antidepressants do not cause addiction, but some people may feel discontinuation symptoms if they stop them suddenly, because they are usually started gradually and should also be stopped gradually. Not tapering properly is what causes those symptoms—not the medication itself. Therefore, do not stop them suddenly. Consult your psychiatrist about how to taper them gradually.
- Depression is only treated with antidepressants.
Antidepressants are just one treatment option among several therapeutic, verbal, or behavioral options mentioned earlier. So consult a psychiatrist and a psychologist to design a treatment plan that suits your condition.
- I recovered from depression with the sessions, but I will relapse after stopping them.
Therapy sessions give us cognitive and behavioral skills to overcome depression and continue improving even after stopping sessions. The purpose of sessions is for you to become your own therapist in the future if a depressive episode returns. Some people may attend one or two booster sessions to refresh their skills if needed.
- Talking about depression with a mental health professional will make it worse.
Talking with a professional does the opposite. It helps you feel understood and opens doors of hope, and this happens with complete privacy and confidentiality.
- Depression is a natural part of life.
Depression is a scientifically proven mental disorder and not a natural part of life. It has treatment just like other medical conditions.
- One of my parents has depression, so depression is genetic.
Not everyone with a family history of depression will experience it. Therefore, let us seek treatment.
- Depression is caused by weak religious faith.
There are mosque imams and Quran memorizers who suffer from depression, so it is not caused by weak faith. Otherwise, every non-religious person would suffer from depression—and that is not true.
- Depression is the same as sadness.
Sadness is a natural emotion that usually does not stop us from enjoying life, and it is generally temporary. But with depression, the sadness is excessive most of the time, which prevents us from functioning in life. Depression does not equal sadness; persistent sadness is only one of its nine symptoms.
- Depression means I am weak.
This is one of the false dark thoughts of depression. Many people with depression are strong, influential, and hold high positions professionally and socially, but depression tries to convince us that we are weak so it can grow stronger by darkening our lenses.
- My friends and relatives think I don’t need a specialist and that the problem is just laziness.
Depression takes away our energy, activity, and ability to enjoy what we used to enjoy. This is often misinterpreted as laziness, but it is not. These are symptoms of depression, and people often do not know the difference, so they rely on their own non-specialized explanations for things they do not understand. Therefore, consult a mental health professional.
