Why can't my parents understand that I am not choosing to be depressed?

parents never understand anything. They just yell at us because they think they understand us but they do not. Parents are just different, they can't imagine how it is to live in our skin.

My dad himself has never been depressed. he has no idea what it feels like. he thinks that i'm 'just a little bit sad' and 'lazy' and ''without plans for the future'. that's not what's going on, i know that, i'm trying to tell him, but he doesn't understand. he compares my depression to his own low periods where 'taking a walk' or 'sleeping it out' does factually help and solve the problem mostly. i don't blame him for it, but it is annoying. he's just never experienced it before, i don't want him to experience it, so it's better this way. i'm going to get through this, and it's only gonna make me stronger.

People often think that depression is a choice. They think it's like a switch, where you can just flip it and suddenly be happy again. It's very hard to get out of that mindset at times. Just educate them further on what depression is.

Depression is something that almost any person can say that they have. As a parent, they may just bypass it as "drama" or "over reacting." Depression is sometimes hard to depict from these things, especially if you're the one raising a child. It's difficult to accept that your own son or daughter is experiencing this degree of adversity. Either of these things can result in neglect to realize the issue, thus making it increasingly challenging to get help.

Because they don't know how depression works. People can't "snap out" of depression like some people think. If telling them yourself doesn't work, then ask someone else to explain to them how depression works. Preferably someone older, like an adult, because it might have a higher chance of them believing. If you can't do that, then sit down with them and explain to them how it is. If they've never been depressed before, then it might take longer.

They want to believe that your there happy child that they love. They don't understand why you feel the way you do.

They did not grow up in a generation where people were particularly aware of mental health issues. They were not educated about them in schools, and for people that know nothing about depression, and those who have not gone through something like it themselves, it can be very difficult to provide empathy.

I think it is a case of some people not really having a good understanding of the illness. They probably grew up in a time when things like depression were not as well known as it is now. There wasnt as much exposure on the mental illness issues, therefore this particular illness was thought of as a less serious issue when compared to physical injuries.

They might simply be ignorant about depression. Our understanding of depression has changed a lot with the advent of fMRI and we are still learning about how different medications affect the brain. The old notion that you can just snap out of it simply isn't true of depression, but your parents might not know the difference between depression and merely being in a bad mood. It might also be the case that your parents are in denial. This can happen because your parents care about you so much that they don't want to face up to the scary possibility that you suffer from depression. Alternately, they might blame themselves for your depression and therefore resist the idea that you're depressed. Keep reaching out . If your parents don't get it, find someone who does.

A lot of people don't understand a lot of things. Why? It is difficult to understand depression or any mental illness when people have not studied or experienced it themselves. Your parents don't know what is going on in your head, all they know is what is going on on the outside.

Some people just do not understand things they haven't experienced. Depression is not a choice, and if it was then why on earth would anyone choose it? It's a complex issue and many struggle to come to terms with it. All you can do is educate your parents about it - it's a slow and long process, hopefully one day they'll see the truth.

Many people hold a lot of misconceptions about depression and think that it can be controlled, the fact is depression is not a choice and if were no one would be depressed. Making others, especially your parents understand this is extremely important because as humans we crave social acceptance. It would be great idea for you to sit them down and read up on depression on various websites or better yet take them to a Psychologist who can convince them. :)

Sometimes other people feel upset seeing you so hurting. So there coping method may seem like they don't care, but really they may be not wanting to believe that you are hurting, So they're trying to convince themselves you're fine.

Sometimes it has to do with cultural or generational differences. In many of cultures, mental health isn't a priority or a topic taken as seriously. Sadly, the stigma of mental health is still prevalent today. Regardless, it's really a lack of full understanding of what depression is on there part. Sometimes it takes an outside resource (like a psychiatrist) to inform parents on what it is. In my experience, my parents saw symptoms of depression before I was diagnosed but brushed it off as 'something I would grow out of.' However, after learning more about the seriousness of those behaviors, they became more understanding at the very least.

They just don't like to see you sad and cannot understand what you have to be depressed about. They may not remember what it's like to be your age or maybe they don't know what it's like to struggle with depression.

Depression and other mental illnesses can be very difficult to understand for someone who has not gone through it. Be open with your parents and tell them if they say something that upsets you.

It's really hard for people, not just parents, to understand what it feels like to be different than their own personal experience. While it's not your choice, they cant see that because it's not something that's happened to them.

Some people don't understand mental illnesses and how they're not a choice. I believe a step that you could take to have them understand is educate them. Education is your best friend. If they're educated on what depression is and how it works etc. their reaction to it may be different.

Depression is difficult to comprehend when you've never experienced it. Your parents aren't really sure how to deal with it and often, people's way of coping is by blaming the person.

Mental health is unfortunately not a widely discussed issue and a lot of people believe in stereotypes and what they see on TV, and unfortunately those long-held beliefs take time and effort to change (reeducation, perhaps). Maybe you can show them this as a start: https://www.7cups.com/depression-help-online/