This made me giggle

Exactly right Kate, it's only in very recent years that it's become recognised that some forms of anxiety/depression are actually a chemical imbalance.  For many years I was just thought to be ill behaved, 'highly strung' (dont you just love that expression - not!) or as one person once said to me at work, a drama queen.  A life restricting illness that has visible symptoms is met with sympathy and comments about how brave people are to carry on their life despite it but mental illness still has a stigma.  I get way more sympathy about my osteo arthritis but that isn't anywhere near as difficult for me to live with as depression and anxiety, over which I have no control.  

Yes that's so true nowadays.  As soon as I take Citralopram and it builds up, it makes me completely better - so yes definitely believe it's a chemical imbalance.  My 20 year old son had a melt down a few months and has been diagnosed with depression too - exactly the same age as me when I first had it.  It's been so painful watching him suffer as I did, but am strangely grateful for my illness now as I can help him.

Yes I've heard that word all too often - highly strung.  If only people knew what it was like ....... A friend of mine has just lost her 14 year job due to time off for depression.  She hadn't been able to work since January, and finally was dismissed.  I wonder if they'd have done that if she'd been having cancer treatment or similar.

You know, I have never thought of my drama queen and highly strung  attitude as depression. I used to get terribly upset when people said hurtful things. I never got comfort, I was just told to stop being so dramatic. Those words still stick. 

When I started to tell people about my depression, I was surprised by two things. 1. The amount of people who had suffered from depression and 2. The amount of people who kept their distance.

We are the ones who have to raise awareness, to make life easier for people like Katecogs son. x

Your son is very lucky to have someone like you who can really understand his problems.  Unfortunately the mentally healthy cannot comprehend the depths of despair we are inflicted with.  Those cartoons are amusing but so close to the truth which isn't amusing.  I've been called selfish, exasperating, a 'typical hysterical female' and a host of other things.  I really appreciate that life with someone like me can be bloody hard work but I'd just like my nearest and dearest to know that I don't choose to be this way, I do try self help but at times I have no defence against the overwhelming onslaught that anxiety and depression bring to my head.  It's not easy just blurting out that I have depression and some don't believe me particularly when I'm in hyper mode and seem to be the life and soul of the party.  Manic moods are hard for others to deal with but my god, theyre even harder for me and I can't walk away the way they do.  

People do say hurtful things, and for people like us who struggle and are suspectible to all manner of fears, the wrong words often make us worry more.  I was the same ..... after years and years of keeping quiet about my depression, it's actually on,y recently I've opened up more (probably due to my son being ill) and like you Hed I was surprised by how many people I knew who had or were suffering.  It's so common.  I worry my son will get teased when he returns to his apprenticeship ...... he's quite introverted and it won't help.

Yes it's definitely people like us who raise awareness of this illness.

Aw thanks Loxie .... as a mum we feel our childrens pain, and when he became ill I started to crumble after a few weeks, though I didn't let him see in case it added to his problem.  I felt his pain and began to feel my own depression returning, so had 2 lots to cope with.  Restarting these meds has helped so much.

Thats so true that mentally well people have absolutely no inkling what our despair is like.  I also wonder how the health professionals can understand at times too as many have no idea what it feels like.

So glad I found this site.

xx

That was meant to say susceptible 

You know, I sometimes wonder if we're the normal ones and those that go through life cheerily unaffected by the struggle are actually missing a screw or two.  That actually brought a smile to my face.

I reckon your right haha!