A convenient excuse?

Is depression a convenient excuse for some of us? Our we too eager to blame it for our short comings when in reality the problem lies elsewhere?

I've been thinking about this recently. For the past week or so I've been fighting a cold or two and some stomach problems. But when offered some work for 2 days I took it. I knew it would suck to go, but I chose to go anyway. So if I can get out of bed to work hard labor while sick, am I using depression as an excuse every other day? Are we all just using it as an excuse?

Some people will get out of bed, go to work, and do a whole bunch of other things while sick. Even if they are sick enough where any reasonable person would say they have a right to take it easy, they still get out and do. On the other hand, many will call out of work under the same exact circumstances. With depression, some still have drive to try and try and try, while others can not muster to get out of bed before noon. What is it that separates us? Are we who can't wake copping out at life?

Others have told me I am using my depression as an excuse. Sometimes it feels like I am just being lazy. But is is depression. It is not an excuse. It is an illness.

philly2bits said:

What is it that separates us? Are we who can't wake copping out at life?

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I was thinking about this the other day. I think it is the phrase "I can't." This doesn't necessary just apply to depression, but it can. Some of us have it in our heads that we can't do things we really can. "I can't leave the house today, I'm to depressed." No, you can leave the house today you don't want to, or it's easier not to. It may be difficult, or require some effort to do, but it's not that you're incapable.

We can still use depression as an excuse without saying can't, but it holds you more accountable. You don't feel as about it if it's not your fault, and you're more willing to do it if that's the case.

I'm not trying to belittle Depression or anyone's struggles. Sometimes it is too hard to get out of bed, to motivate yourself to do things. Depression is a justifiable excuse, as being under the weather is for staying home from work. You have to take responsibility though, holding yourself accountable is the key. If you fall behind in your work it's not because you were sick, it's because you choose to take a sick day.

We give things like depression too much credit, it sucks but it's not as a powerful of a force as we think it is. It's a factor, but not a defining one.

The phrase I use often is not "I can't" but "I don't know." I don't know what to do to make things better. Seriously. I take full responsibility for my condition. It is no one's fault but my own. Everyone feels down from time to time, so when talking about depression, clinical depression, it is hard to explain just how hard it gets.

I saw this comic last week by Hyperbole and a Half, and it does a great job showing how depression looks and sounds like, maybe you'd like to take a look:

Hyperbole and a Half: Adventures in Depression

My own breakthrough will happen sooner than later.

It's a vicious cycle. Problems elsewhere in life cause depression. Depression makes it hard to deal with said problems. Not dealing with said problems makes depression worse. Life spirals out of control. And so on and so forth...

razzle dazzle rose said:

I saw this comic last week by Hyperbole and a Half, and it does a great job showing how depression looks and sounds like, maybe you'd like to take a look:

Hyperbole and a Half: Adventures in Depression

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That made me laugh and cry at the same time. Exactly what it's like.::::