11 Dec Join “The Many Faces of Depression” Movement & Stop the Stigma! Submit Your Story/ Photo!
Last week, I shared my personal struggles with depression in my post, Overcoming the Stigma of Depression: “I am the FACE of DEPRESSION (& Anxiety).” I have been deeply touched by the outpouring of support from so many who have joined me, stating, “I, too, am the face of depression.”
Overcoming The Powerful Stigma of Mental Illness & Depression
It’s a wonderful start: getting people talking and asking about depression, and hopefully increasing understanding and support. But there’s much more to be done if we hope to one day overcome the stigma of depression.
Even though I’ve received dozens of messages of support from online friends and followers, I’ve only had three real-life friends/family members reach out to me after reading my article, and two of them are really more like acquaintances than close friends. All of them have also been affected by depression, either themselves or in a close family member. They didn’t do much other than say, “I’m so sorry you’ve been struggling. How are you doing now?” Or, “Is there anything I can do for you?” Or, “I think you’re brave to have written that article. You’ve helped me be brave, too.” It helps to hear my own friends talk about it.
But there were only three. While I didn’t write the article to get sympathy or support from my friends and family, I was surprised by how few of them have spoken to me about it. I’m sure I shouldn’t be surprised. That’s why I wrote the article to begin with–because the stigma of depression is so strong, it silences us.
I’m sure most of my friends and family don’t judge or criticize me for my depression. It’s just that, unlike with other types of illness (injuries, cancer, surgery), they don’t know how to react. People don’t know what to say, so they say nothing (kind of like how people don’t know how to handle grief). They don’t know what to do, especially if they haven’t experienced depression first hand. So, again, they do nothing and hope I just “get better” so we don’t have to talk about it. They click “like” on the picture of me holding my sign, and I am grateful for that. But they say nothing.
This is the power of stigma, my friends.
“The Many FACEs of DEPRESSION” Movement
I am getting better, day by day, thanks to my ability to overcome the stigma of depression, seek help, and let help in. I’m feeling stronger again, thanks to the support of my husband, children, and a couple of close friends.
But no matter how I’m feeling, I continue to feel the need to make sure this conversation doesn’t die. I need to keep giving depression a face and a voice, to lend it mine, to keep us talking about depression, and anxiety–for my children, for my clients, for my family, friends, and for myself.
Thus, I present “The Many FACEs of DEPRESSION” Movement. My hope is that you will join me. My hope is that we can give depression a face and a voice. My hope is that one day things will change and we will no longer feel the need to stay silent. We will no longer feel the need to hold depression as a shameful secret.
Submit your Story/ Photo & Help Me Stop the Stigma!
I invite anyone who has been touched by depression–either personally or in a loved one–to share your story and/or your photo, to publicly declare, “I, too, am the FACE of DEPRESSION.” After the submission deadline (see rules, below), I will then select 6 stories to publish in full on my website throughout 2015. I will also publish excerpts from other stories, along with as many photos as I receive. Together, we can show the many faces of depression. Together, we can help people face depression, to ask about it, and to understand it.
We can stop the stigma of depression. One face. One photo. One story at a time. We can give this illness a voice and, one day, stop the stigma.
Join “The Many Faces of Depression” Movement!
Submit Your Story and/or Photo!
Submission Rules & Guidelines
- Written submissions:
- Posts must focus on the theme “I am the face of depression” and share your personal story.
- Length of post: 600-1000 words. Longer posts will not be considered for publication.
- Submissions must be received no later than
January 10, January 25 2015, midnight PST. - Please focus on: 1) Brief details of your experiences with depression, 2) What depression feels like for you or your loved one (symptoms), and 3) What methods of treatment have been helpful for you? 4) What have you learned from depression, or how have you grown? And what would you like others to know about it? (You can use my post as a model, though keep in mind that mine is much longer than the allotted length above.)
- To be considered for a full post, you must include at least one photo of you, holding an “I am the face of depression” sign. To download a sign, click here: “I am the FACE of DEPRESSION” Sign “I am the FACE of DEPRESSION (& Anxiety)” Sign
- If you do not wish to post a photo and do not wish to be considered for a full post, you may submit a short post with no photo.
- By entering, you agree to allow your article to be posted on my website, www.DrChristinaHibbert.com, either in full or in part, and you also agree for your photo to be posted in “The Many Faces of Depression” collection on the same website.
- Authors of the 6 articles that are selected to be posted in full will be notified by email prior to publication. Others will be notified that they have not been selected and will be given information about the publication dates for excerpts.
- Please do not include any profanity or inappropriate material. Such articles will not be considered for publication
- Please subscribe, below, and then share the articles and photos as they are posted!
- Must be at least 18 years of age to enter.
- Photo submissions
- All are invited to submit a clear photo of yourself holding an “I am the FACE of DEPRESSION” sign.
- You are welcome to download a sign, or to create your own. If you create your own, it must say, “I am the FACE of DEPRESSION” or “I am the FACE of DEPRESSION (& Anxiety)” and include our web address www.DrChristinaHibbert.com in font large enough to read in the picture. To download a sign, click here: “I am the FACE of DEPRESSION” Sign “I am the FACE of DEPRESSION (& Anxiety)” Sign
- Only one photo entry per person, and entries must be received no later than
January 10, January 25, 2015 midnight, PST. - Please, no inappropriate attire or materials in the photos. Such will not be considered for publication.
- Please subscribe, below, and then share the articles and photos as they are posted!
- Must be at least 18 years of age to enter.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE for Articles and Photos:
DEADLINE EXTENDED!
Due to the holiday busyness and getting back into the new year, I’ve extended the deadline for submissions! I hope this is helpful to those of you who asked for more time. I know it’s helpful to me!
January 10, 2015
January 25, 2015!
SUBMISSIONS & Questions Should Be EMAILED to:
support@drchristinahibbert.com
Thank you for adding your voice to mine! I look forward to seeing what we can do together!
You may manage your subscription options from your profile.
Be sure to check out Dr. Hibbert’s Amazon Bestseller, This is How We Grow–
available now on Amazon.com!
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Join my Free, Online “This Is How We Grow” Personal Growth Group!
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Depression and stigma do go together. Employers do not look on this kindly. There is something associated with depression and weakness.
Having to rely on medication to assist in the process does not bode well.
being honest if i did have depression this I would not communicate; so I suspect I am either in the minority or the majority camp.
Objectivity appears to go out the window when focusing on one’s self.
Sorry I am not being too helpful.
Thanks
I definitely understand it’s hard to speak out about having depression, and especially to admit to needing a medication. In the work place it can be especially rough, I agree. I’d say you are in the majority, Josie. And that’s why I’m doing this. Because I want people to see that depression is just like any other life struggle, I want to increase understanding, and to one day make a world in which we can feel free to just say what is really happening and not have to hide alone.
One of my former students asked for my input and help with her current, obvious depression. I ascertained it to be exacerbated by her feeling obliged to cater to the intrusion of her mother who had recently come out of some years of disappearance and now being in an apartment two miles away, but instead of being at the apartment, she had planted herself 24/7 in the house. I enlisted the aid of her mate along with efforts to place the mother back into her apartment two miles away. This skill enlisted the aid of the husband. I worked.
I wonder how many people might sit and read this. Cry and read this. And think, “I could never be so brave.” Depression is not only so hard, but can have so many feelings of shame associated with it. The worst for me is not knowing what will prick it. Sort of like it will lie just beneath the surface, carefully and safely concealed, and something random can unexpectedly scratch deep enough to cause a profound impact. Because, I think, when you struggle with depression, it seems like its always there, waiting to jump out again and sometimes its hard to find the strength to get on top of it, let alone share it with anyone. I think you’re so brave and so strong and so many people need to read what you are writing, even if they cannot share it themselves.