“Is it a disability to be depressed?” Many people ask this question when they’re trying to decide if their mental illness should be recognized as a disability. There are arguments on both sides, but we will discuss them in this blog post and try to help you decide what’s best for your situation.
Depression affects us all and we should wear who we are with pride, after all it is our flaws that make us human. There are even organisations creating mental health awareness hoodies and other types of mental health awareness apparel, such as mental health awareness shirts, for you to wear proudly and to show unity & support.
What is depression, and how does it function?
Depression is a mental illness that has an impact on how we think, feel, and act. It makes it difficult to enjoy things in life like work or spending time with our loved ones. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) says this about depression:
“Depression can make you feel hopeless, worthless, sad, or empty; lose interest in activities you once enjoyed; and struggle with daily tasks such as getting up for school or work.” That’s the formal definition from the NIMH website, but what does that really mean?
Imagine living your entire day without feeling happiness at all — no joy when you take a beautiful walk outside during sunrise; not even excitement when seeing one of your favorite bands perform live on stage right before your eyes. Imagine feeling completely empty inside, like you have nothing to live for anymore… That’s what it means to feel depression.
That is not an easy thing to deal with on a day-to-day basis so many people seek help from their doctor or therapist in the form of medication and therapy sessions.
The link between depression and disability
There is a common misconception that depression can be classified as a disability. This leads many people to ask themselves, “If I am depressed and get treated for it, does my depression still meet the official definition of ‘disability?” Unfortunately, this isn’t so simple since there is more than one answer to this question.
Some experts say no — you cannot classify your mental illness as a disability if you receive treatment (i.e., medication and/or therapy sessions ). The reasoning behind that argument is: If you treat your depression with therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy or even antidepressants, then your condition should not be considered disabling anymore because the symptoms will go away after completing both treatments.
However, other experts say yes — you can classify your mental illness as a disability even if it seems like the symptoms go away after treatment. The reasoning behind that argument is: If you get treated for depression and still experience some of its symptoms (e.g., feelings of sadness) but not enough to be classified as disabled, then it could still be considered a disability.
If this sounds confusing to you right now, we completely understand because there isn’t one clear-cut answer here; each case must be determined on an individual basis by medical professionals or lawyers who specialize in disabilities law. It’s also important to keep in mind that what we just discussed was about whether someone with depression should consider themselves “disabled” based on common symptoms.
However, there are cases when people with depression could also be considered “disabled” in the workplace. That’s because some employers have specific rules about how many sick days an employee can take during a certain period of time (e.g., six months). If you use more than your allotted amount of sick days due to mental illness that qualifies as being disabled and unable to work for that particular job.
How can you tell if your depression has made you disabled?
Feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, sadness, or emptiness; loss of interest in activities you previously enjoyed; and difficulty with everyday activities such as getting up for school or work are all signs of depression. If your depression is severe enough to interfere with your ability to go about day-to-day life then it might be time to speak with a doctor or therapist. This will help determine whether you should consider yourself disabled based on the above criteria.
However, if your depression does not interfere with day-to-day life then it might be best to consider yourself “not disabled” even though you are still struggling. This is because there isn’t a clear-cut answer about whether or not someone can classify their mental illness as a disability without treatment.
Why mental illness should be treated as a disability
When someone gets depression and seeks treatment for it, they receive a diagnosis from their doctor or therapist. This is important because it allows the person to be treated as an individual with a certain type of mental illness rather than just “crazy” or “nuts.”
Having this specific label also helps reduce the stigma which means fewer people will treat you like you have some sort of contagious disease that should be avoided at all costs. In fact, studies show that up to 90 percent of people would not tell friends about their new depression diagnosis if they were concerned about being stigmatized by others. That’s why reducing negative attitudes toward those who suffer from depressive disorders is so crucial — less fear = more disclosure = reduced stress levels for everyone involved!
The bottom line is that mental illnesses (including depression) should be treated like physical disabilities, especially in terms of how they affect a person’s social life and occupational success. If this means less fear surrounding depressive disorders then we are all for it!
Another common symptom of depression includes having feelings of sadness or emptiness much more often than usual that can last anywhere from two weeks to several months.
How to get the treatment you need for your mental illness so that it doesn’t interfere with daily life or employment
Depression can be a serious illness that interferes with daily life and employment if left untreated. That’s why it is important to get treatment for your depression so you don’t have to worry about how it might affect your job or social relationships.
If the idea of speaking with someone like your doctor, therapist, psychiatrist, etc. makes you feel uncomfortable then there are other options available (e.g., anonymous chat rooms). You just need to put in some time and effort into finding what works best for you instead of avoiding potential solutions because they require more than one step on their own without help from others!
Another option which many people already use while suffering from depression includes medication such as antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, mood stabilizers, and others. The FDA has approved these medications for use in treating depressive disorders so they are generally considered the first-line treatment option by most medical professionals.
There is also a wide range of psychotherapy options available (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy) that can be used alone or alongside medication to help reduce symptoms associated with depression such as sadness, hopelessness, etc. These techniques typically require more time than taking medicine but sometimes work better long-term since they address underlying causes instead of just masking certain issues like drugs might do over time.
The bottom line is that both types of treatments should always be explored when dealing with mental illnesses — especially something as serious as a major depressive disorder — even if one option by itself seems to work better than the other. This is why it’s important to put in some time and effort into finding what works best for you instead of avoiding potential solutions because they require more than one step on their own without help from others!
Conclusion
Having a depressive disorder is not the end of your life — in fact, it can be treated so you don’t have to worry about how it might affect your job or social relationships. Both medication and psychotherapy options should always be explored when dealing with mental illnesses even if one option by itself seems to work better than the other! This is why we encourage everyone who suffers from depression (or any type of mental illness) to focus on getting treatment instead of avoiding potential solutions because they require more than one step on their own without help from others!
