Depression isn’t a gimmick

cw. Depression.

I see a lot of posts about depression and how people are simply crying for attention. Yes, some people are. So what? An underlying factor that is grounds for depression is lack of attention and human interactions. So if someone is crying out for attention, if someone needs to be heard and listened to, if they need their feelings validated because they feel deeply consumed by their emotional state, then as a friend or supporter why not give them attention?

Someone mentioned, and I'm paraphrasing " if you don't kill yourself then you're just basically playing around and you're not really depressed, using it for show"

But why do most people believe that depression is something you're either deeply suicidal or not depressed enough? There is levels to Depression that not a lot of people talk about. Some cases are mild where people aren't able to make themselves happier and are constantly consumed by emotions that does not mean they want to kill themselves. Some depression flares up in apathy where you are emotionless and numb to the world.

Other cases are more extreme, where a person suffering needs medical attention because they simply cannot handle it alone, and in most cases doesn't necessarily want to. Post like these will drive people back into suffering in silence. Let them speak on their truth, it's not up to you to decide which is depressed enough for attention.