How and what do I tell my family and friends if I have been diagnosed with depression?
Although there
is a greater understanding in society about depression, stigmatization
continues to exist, and there can be concern about what to share about
the condition with your family and friends. The decision as to sharing
information about your diagnosis can be fraught with more worries as to
how others will perceive you than, for example, if you had to inform them
of an infectious disease, a heart condition, diabetes, or even cancer.
As with any
other illness, you have a right to your privacy in terms of disclosure.
Certainly, the more you can open up about your depression, as with any
illness, to people close to you, the more support you can garnish in your
time of need. It is reasonable to use discretion in sharing anything
personal about yourself; the same holds true regarding your depression.
If you do not discuss it with people closest to you, you may be more apt
to feel shame about it and inhibited in obtaining help and remaining on
the treatment plan that you need. Stigmatization results when people hide
shamefully behind what ails them. It is easier for people to hold on to
their biases if they believe that they do not know anyone with depression
or any other mental illness. Close family and friends are more apt to be
supportive than you may believe.
