Myth / Reality
By: Hannah Brogan
Myth / Reality
Reality: Depression is something that after two weeks of experiencing it, you would seek help for treatment.
Myth: Depression only occurs when bad things happen.
Reality: Depression is smoothing that comes on genetically or over time.
Myth: Postpartum depression is an excuse women use for being bad mothers.
Reality: Postpartum depression is something that occurs in women within a year of giving birth. It effects 10% of women and involves detachment from child, worry that you will harm your child, and thoughts of suicide.
Myth: There is nothing you can do to treat depression.
Reality: Depression can be treated with medication such as antidepressants involving doses of serotonin and also can be treated with therapy.
Myth: Antidepressants and lithium can help anybody with a mood disorder.
Reality: Antidepressants and lithium may only work for some people.
Myth: There are no outward signs of depression.
Reality: people with depression experience intense sadness, feeling of futility, worthlessness, and withdrawal from others.
Myth: Having mania is fun.
Reality: Mania involves extreme mood swings, agitation, decreased need to sleep, rapid speech, and trouble concentrating. Long periods of mania with short periods of depression.
Myth: No one hallucinates while suffering from a mood disorder.
Reality: Postpartum Psychosis involves hallucinations
Myth: Everyone who has bipolar disorder experiences the disorder in the same way.
Reality: People with bipolar disorder can experience it in different ways due to the different levels of serotonin in the brain.
Myth: Only people suffering from depression are suicidal.
Reality: Bipolar disorder can lead to suicide.