About that parallel you're drawing...

[firecat]

I have seen multiple posts about depression recently that compare it to diabetes and say something like "You wouldn't expect a diabetic to go without their insulin, right? Well you shouldn't expect a depressed person to 'just cheer up.'"

Here's the thing. There is lots of shaming of diabetics for being on meds or insulin. A lot of people think diabetes is a "lifestyle disease" and that one can choose whether to have it and how to treat it. There is probably considerable overlap between people with that view and the ones who think depression is a bad mood or a selfish play for attention.

I appreciate the attempt to educate people about depression and I'm not criticizing any particular person or post, but I'm thinking some other comparison would probably work better to get the point across that depression is a very difficult condition to manage.

Comments

[shehasathree]

As someone who has spent more years depressed than i care to remember, and who has just been diagnosed with "probable diabetes" (more tests tomorrow), THIS. My GP *knows* i have been having enormous trouble eating enough (and absorbing what i do eat) for the past 5 months, and still told me to lose weight (probably by eating less). wtf.

[firecat]

GRRR.

I know of a couple of good fat-accepting diabetes forums, if you are interested.

Not having to take steroids and getting proper treatment for extremely stressful health conditions will help a person's blood sugar a lot more than losing weight will.

[shehasathree]

No kidding! /o\
Fat-accepting diabetes forums sounds lovely. I'm kind of not-looking at things right now (i've got at least another two days until my follow-up GP appointment of not being *officially* diabetic to go yet), but i suspect i will want to read a lot soon.

[firecat]

Cool. I sometimes can't keep up with DW so PM me when you want resources. Good luck with tomorrow!

[shehasathree]

Thank-you. :)