Depression affects millions of people in the United States also. The states of depression can range from rather mild to quite severe. One of the being biggest problems with depression is the feeling of embarrassment in admitting to being depressed. Societal norms often cause people to think this ailment is taboo. And this means that treatment would not sought, when it should be.
But depression is not restricted to those who are severely ill, doing poorly at work, etc. It impacts on all sorts of people. The key to better mental health is to admit to ourselves that we have a problem. And to seek help to address that problem.
Even people who many see as “successful” have problems with depression. Consider the recent suicides of fashionista Kate Spade and celebrity chef Anthony Bordain. Just last week, ESPN ran a major story on depression among NBA (National Basketball Association) players — where the average salary exceeds $6 million. As Jackie MacMullan reported:
“The willingness of stars Kevin Love and DeMar DeRozan to step out of the shadows and reveal their struggles has set the NBA on an important path of self-discovery. It has prompted the National Basketball Players Association to hire Dr. William Parham as its first director of mental health and wellness; and it has convinced commissioner Adam Silver and union head Michele Roberts that hammering out a comprehensive mental health policy needs to be a priority.”
“Yet there remain many obstacles to confront, chief among them the stigma attached to mental health that prompts many players to suffer in silence. The union also insists that mental health treatment be confidential. But some NBA owners, who in some cases are paying their players hundreds of millions of dollars, want access to the files of their ‘investments.’ Confidentiality, says Love, has to be non-negotiable. Without it, he says, he never would have become comfortable enough to announce from that All-Star dais that he was seeking treatment.”
Consider these candid remarks from Kevin Love, a many-time NBA All Star.