It is estimated three quarters of all depression goes unreported. Reported depression cases triple during the holiday seasons. Compare these facts and you have reason to sit up and take notice . At my depression awareness site (here
), I've addressed this subject more times than I want to know. I am still left with the feeling I haven't covered it enough. What I write about here can be applied every day and by everyone at risk of or does experience depression.
A fact about your online community
If you have developed an online community such as you can in MySpace
or Facebook
, the probability. there are people who have gone through crisis events in your circle. There are people who have serious and terminal diseases. There are people who are not in true remission standing ground with cancer. What I have found is there is a common denominator if you have built up your community with solid friends. These people are there for you when you need them. During this season that is an invaluable plus for everyone at risk or prone to depression.
Your community for support.If you suspect or even have been diagnosed as suffering from depression use your community as a support base. One of the symptoms of depression is moodiness and withdrawal. While I am not an advocate of online depression support groups per se, I do advocate reaching out to people you have made a real bond with. You know who they are. If no one knows, they can't throw you a help line. The key is to not to let yourself become isolated. Take the initiative to reachout. It could be a lifesaver.
My own instance, I have a not so small community in MySpace (here
). At Facebook I have one underdevelopment. While the underlying purpose is to promote myself professionally creating a community has become so much more. I publish on the different topics daily. I have running dialogs with people everyday. I have assisted many with personal problems and crisis. Many in my community reach out to me daily on the subjects of depression and personal inspiration. To that end recently I have under gone my own personal crisis and they in turn were there for me. The MySpace community has come full cycle and very symbiotic.
This has yielded me real friends who do more than communicate online. I have phone contact with some. I am meeting with others in person. I don't make myself available because this is what I do. I make myself available because when you need someone that's what's friends do. There is nothing that can replace real people as friends. Also in my community there are professionals in the field of depression and psychology. They make their own choices as to whether or not to let people know as they seem fit. I choose a more proactive stance.
How I operateMy email is open 24 hours a day just like everyone else's. I will not diagnose but I will help a person as best I can toward awareness and support. I may not be able to be "right there" immediately, but I will be there. Once I have worked the someone I will check in on them. With a large number of people I maintain one sort or another type of daily contact. The lifeline is regularly there for them. A few minutes a day can make all the difference in the world to someone.
A recent event A person recently expressed to me they were experiencing depression. This person chose afterwards to remain out of touch. A common path taken by someone suffering from depression. Others since have approached me unsolicited about their contacts with the person . Basically they have grown a concern about the person as the person has been online and not their normal themselves. It is possible that the person feels because they have revealed their problem to me I think less of them. As they stay out of contact I cannot express to them nothing can be farther from the truth. People who are proactive about their problems are to be admired. Anyone who suffers depression more so because of the social misconceptions that prevail about "suffering depression." To that person all I can do is wait for them to get back to me.
I will not track them down. I will be there when they are ready. The person already should be aware of what I think about them. I expressed myself clearly. As is common with people suffering from depression, they have to cross the line from knowing to accepting. To this person and any one else I can only give one piece of advice. Do not make the mistake of trying to go through this alone during the holiday season when experiencing depression. You can only help yourself by reaching out.
An very important fact
Seeking support online should be either a starter, emergency, or added aspect toward receiving help. It by no means should take the place of or be your main source of assistance and treatment. As for the so-called professional online groups I have audited many. I find they are at risk. Now, if you online community is constructed around a role playing persona it is no place for you to seek active help. At best you are at even higher risk. Your community is not there for the person with the problem they are they for a person who does not exist. You are asking for people to mistreat and misguide you. Your greatest recourse of support should be through real people and one on one contact. Do not shortchange yourself by hiding behind a monitor and keyboard.
