“I began to think that it was just something wrong with me, as a person when in fact it was my own brain betraying me.”

What kind of stigma did you experience/observe?

Depressive Disorder Stigma.

Stigma story

In October 2013, I was hospitalized with severe depression and anxiety after putting some serious thought into ending my life. I had reached the point that I was ready to be done with everything. I talked to my parents but they were no help. They insisted that I go out and be social, be in a better mood, and stop being so sad. No one made any efforts to understand what was happening to me and that I couldn’t just “pull myself up by my bootstraps” or “just get over it”. In fact, I was told this so many times that I started to believe them myself. I began to think that it was just something wrong with me, as a person when in fact it was my own brain betraying me.

What could someone have said/done to make it ok?

Someone could have asked how to help me and made an attempt to understand my feelings of despair, hopelessness and anger.