Do I need to tell people that I'm depressed?
402 Answers
Last Updated: 06/26/2023 at 4:18pm
★ This question about Depression was starred by a moderator on 5/12/2016.
Moderated by
Jennifer Patterson, LMFT
Art Therapist
Life can be messy. Sometimes you need a little support to make your way through it. I love to help guide people through their challenges & to find the beauty in our messes.
Top Rated Answers
Anonymous
August 8th, 2015 9:22pm
Not unless you feel it is necessary. It is ok to not tell others. Of course some more important people in your life should know, but not everyone has to. Share these things with people you feel comfortable sharing them with.
Only if you feel like it would help you. But for most people, talking about their struggles with mental illness can be a really freeing thing. If you have friends or family who are supportive, discussing your depression with them could lift a huge weight off your mind.
You should tell people close to you, and your doctor that you might be depressed. It's best to have someone supportive.
If you're not comfortable telling people you're depressed then you don't need to share that information! It is totally up to you. I think sharing your depression can help you talk out your feeling and maybe find a support system that can help you cope with your depression. Most importantly, I do not think anyone should ever be ashamed to talk about their depression.
Anonymous
August 12th, 2015 3:07am
Yes. You should tell somebody you trust that you're depressed. You don't need to tell everyone unless you want to.
Anonymous
August 12th, 2015 5:32am
No. Don't define yourself by a word!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anonymous
August 12th, 2015 6:03pm
You never have to explain yourself to anyone you don't want to. It's no ones business but your own what is going on with you.
You only need to tell people that you're depressed if they can help you in some way. Parents, teachers, coaches, etc. Not just anyone because that can turn into a mess.
Opening up and letting people know that you are depressed puts you in a vulnerable situation, but at the same time it allows for the healing process to start.
Anonymous
August 13th, 2015 2:52pm
Yes, realising and discussing depression is one of the most important steps to recovery, though it should be dealt with caution. Confide in people you trust and not to someone who doesn't care. I had a friend help me through the toughest time of my life where I was ostracized in school, had family issues as well as a long distance relation. Talking about what I felt and how I felt to a listener helped no bound. Those chats helped me get out of the mood slowly but surely and I'm forever grateful to that wonderful friend.
YES! But tell the right people. Talking about your emotions is the key to helping you cope with your depression. Putting a label on it and being able to identify it allows you to avoid circumstances which may deepen the depression. Being able to "get it off your chest" may not be the cure, but being able to recognize it opens a whole new world of solutions. Some people need medication, some need mediation, some need meditation. We all cope differently.
There is no NEED to do that, but when you are really struggeling with suicidal thoughts there should be someone to take care of you.
Councelling a therapist is also really helpful! But if you tell someone else depends on how you think about it. You can but don't have to.
Anonymous
August 14th, 2015 10:59am
Telling people is not needed, but can help if you absolutely trust them. Seeing a therapist, or some other licensed professional is very helpful.
Yes. Please if you are close to a person, let them know. Let them know how you feel. It will help them understand why you don't react emotionally and help you feel understand. Talk to people who care for you. If it's not your parents, talk to friends. People do care
Anonymous
August 14th, 2015 8:04pm
I think it always depends on the situation, but it's probably the best thing to do in most situations. Your family and friends might be a really source of help for you to recover from depression. Also, if they dont know you're going through a bad time they might not act as you expect them to do since you're in such situation. In my case, I just told my girlfriend and she tried her best. She couldnt do much, but definitely had some details and moments where i just broke up in tears.
Yes it is so important to tell people how you feel for so many reasons. First and foremost whatever it is that bothering you needs to be said out loud so you can start to deal with it. It does not matter to who or how but it needs to be said. If you don't you can unknowingly push people you love away when you only want the love, support and understanding you know they can give.
Anonymous
August 15th, 2015 5:41pm
Honestly, no! You don't have to tell anyone anything. Unless you feel like it's the right thing to do, then go for it! But it's completely up to you. Sometimes it's better not to say anything unless you feel like you should. And that's OK.
Not unless you want to, that choice is entitely up to you and you alone. It would be helpful for a therapist or someone similiar to know, though
You don't need to tell anyone,If you feel like you need to tell some though I'd suggest telling someone you trust.. but even then they might not believe you, While depression eats away at your trust, it may also be hard to trust people.
It would be helpful to tell people. Hopefully then you will have a lot of support and if you are feeling down in the future you will have people there for you.
I believe it is good to share my feelings with other people. Depression is not something that can be easily handled alone. Many times depression stems from negative beliefs about oneself and everything seems so hopeless. There is no energy to do anything and this becomes a vicious circle with increased isolation and decreased physical activity. This is when you could really need a friend and perhaps this is also a great time to find professional help and learn how to help yourself and get the tools you need will be of help to you and the people you love and share time with. To me, depression equals reflection and a great possibility for change, because unless I decide to change and activate, I will continue to feel depressed.
Anonymous
August 16th, 2015 6:40pm
If you feel you can trust someone, and that they'll understand, telling someone is always a good thing. There will come a crossroads whereby you will feel you have to share with someone, as it will become overwhelming.
Anonymous
August 17th, 2015 10:24pm
You don't HAVE to tell anyone, if you don't feel comfortable talking about your condition - however, having someone close that you can talk to, especially, when you're feeling down, could be helpful, though and help people understand why you act the way you do.
I think you can. But people you can trust and people who think that they want to help you. People who you feel closest to. They will understand you and help you. Or if you don't have any people you can trust. There is your family. They will help you about everything. :)
I think that telling people who have never been depressed (some people never had depressions) or don't know what is depression, so telling those people is not really useful, because they can't understand what depression is. Also, since being depressed puts someone in a vulnerable position, people who never been depressed won't really care and might do you more harm than good. This is my opinion. But if you are reading this, it means you are on this website, so this is a good place to start. I think it's okay (and can be good) to tell someone you are depressed but try to find people who know what depression is, because they experienced it before (or are experiencing it). This is what I think.
That's totally up to you. I would at least find one person that I can trust and confide into to tell this too. If you're comfortable with this, go for it. Keeping your feelings hidden on the inside will just result into severe depression and it will have a bad impact/affect within your life. So, at least tell one person.
Depression can consume someone and be very exhausting and can emotionally drain everything of you. The best way to deal with depression is by first allowing yourself to be vulnerable and having people know that you're depressed so that you can get help with depression. As depression is not very kind and it can consume someone life to great lengths.
It is not necessary that you tell others everything but it is important that you have some supports who do know. Please make sure to get the help and support you need. Seek out a therapist, check out support groups, look to your community and trust in yourself. Please know it is your choice to tell someone or not but remember that talking to those you trust can help others understand what is going on and possibly support you better. Watching someone face and fight depression can be heart breaking and incredibly frustrating if you are in the dark as a friend. Feel free to connect with the support group here, contact myself or another listener for a 1-1 and take care of yourself.
Anonymous
December 11th, 2015 1:11pm
if you feel like you have to, for example your family or friends if you think they should know then tell them but you dont have to at all, its a personal thing, if you think they may be able to help you and you trust them then it may be an idea to consider
You don't have to. It's completely your own decision as to whether you feel you should or you shouldn't. If you feel that it would help people understand you better, then go ahead.
Related Questions: Do I need to tell people that I'm depressed?
What do you do when you have no passion or drive?My anxiety is getting worse and depression won't let me live my life, how do I overcome this?I feel sad a lot, unmotivated, and I often can't stop crying for many hours. But I sleep and eat decently and I also can smile or laugh sometimes. Am I depressed or just sad?How to get things done professionaly at work when I'm very depressed?How do I keep myself from getting to attached to people?I am struggling with codependency and depression. I cannot afford therapy. What can I do to get help?How do I help explain to a parent that what I feel is valid after they reacted badly?How can I open up to people more even if it scares me?How to deal with depression fallout?Why do I hate myself so much?