Suffering in Silence? Why it could Worsen Your Depression

Lisa Franchi August 23, 2013

Despite the availability of effective intervention programmes, only 131,000 out of 6.1 million people with anxiety or depression in England received treatments in the last quarter of 2011, according to a report published by the London School of Economics.

Why do many depressed people suffer in silence?

Everyone feels sad occasionally. Sadness is a normal emotion that is critical to human survival. There are instances however that the sadness retain for a much longer time, along with other negative emotions like anxiety and helplessness. All these could lead to depression and other mental health problems.

Depression is a treatable disorder. Yet, many studies have shown that most people with mental illness do not undergo treatment whilst some who did were not treated according to their actual needs. There are plenty of reasons for this. One, many people who have depression are not aware of their symptoms and therefore do not know that they are already suffering from such illness. Another reason is that they are afraid of what other people might think or say about them. A major contributing factor is that for those who have never had it before, depression is very difficult to understand.

Moreover, some depressed individuals choose to hide and suffer in silence because they believe that letting others know about their illness could affect their career, work, and social relationships. There are those who refuse treatments because for them it is a sign of weakness whilst others could not accept the fact that they are not well. These false notions about depression are hindering millions of people worldwide from getting adequate treatments and recovering from the gloom and misery their illness brings.

Reasons why you shouldn’t suffer in silence

Depression is something no one should be ashamed about. Sometimes, this condition even paves way to a more meaningful and enjoyable life. If you or someone you know is having signs of depression, hope the following reasons will encourage you to seek help.

1. Suffering in silence prolongs your agony. No depressed person would ever want to stay in such situation ever. But you could be lengthening the time spent on sadness, helplessness, anxiety and other undesirable emotions if you will not do something about it.

2. It highlights your isolation. Secluding yourself away from your friends, family and other people who are willing to support you can aggravate what you feel. Research from the University College Dublin suggests that simply going out for a cup of coffee or chatting with a friend can already ease symptoms of depression. Increased social interaction can help rebuild your self-esteem, which has a ‘bounce back’ effect – it wins you more friends and associates.

3. It aggravates negative thoughts. We all have an enemy within. We call it our ‘critical self’. The more you spent time alone and the more you suffer in silence, the louder your critical voice becomes – telling you that you are no better and you’re stuck in this gloom and misery forever.

4. It compromises your relationship. Depression can affect your spouse, your relationship with him or her, and ultimately your family. Depression itself does not lead to divorce. It is just one of its many consequences.

5. It adds to your belief that you are alone in this fight. The more you suffer in silence, the more you will think that no one is there to help you when it fact, there are so many of them who are more than happy to. If you find it uncomfortable to open up with your family or friends, it could be helpful to see a therapist. He or she will not just be able to help you recover from depression but also improve your relationship with others.

6. It perpetuates the stigma. Lastly, by refusing to undergo treatments, you are paradoxically maintaining the value of not disclosing which adds to the stigma on depression and mental illness.

Suffering alone will never help ease the pain. Rather, it makes it more intense and lasting. There are different treatment options to combat depression and among the most effective are talk therapies like cognitive behavioural therapy. Yes, sometimes, all you need to do is talk and let your sufferings be heard. Just knowing that someone is listening can already reduce the burden you are carrying.

Depression is treatable. You can always overcome it, if you let yourself to.