During Thanksgiving dinner with your extended family, the topic of depression comes up. Uncle Charlie rolls his eyes and says, “Not this conversation again!
You know what I think about depression? It’s a newfangled term that people came up with as an excuse to be lazy. When I was a kid, if I told my father that I was sad, he would give me a swift kick in the backside and tell me to cheer up! People are so weak today! If you’re sad, just get over it!”
How would you explain to Uncle Charlie – using resources and examples – what depression is, what some causes of depression are, how it affects the individual who has it, how psychologists treat the disorder, and why “getting over it” is most often not a viable option?