I was ashamed when I was first diagnosed 4 years ago. Despite mental health issues prevalence of 1 in every 4 people, it wasn’t a norm, it wasn’t publicly accepted. Now I no longer hide. I openly disclose my depression in hopes to build awareness in others. I wont lie that deciding to write this post took a lot of courage. But if I could stop 1 single person from getting to where I was, it would be worth being judged by everyone. I really do not want anyone to go through the same, and I hope people would seek help instead of hiding behind a mask.
That wasn’t how I started however. I didn’t felt ‘unhappy’. I didn’t avoid seeing my GP or refused to seek help for my mental health. I didn’t know I was depressed. I was a relatively happy-go-lucky A&E doctor. I loved my job, I love my patients and most importantly I love my colleagues. I laughed at work with my colleagues, made jokes to cheer up my unfortunate patients. Did I notice something was amiss? No.
Continue reading “I have depression and please stop telling me to cheer up.”