Are you #depressed? According to the Mood Disorders Association of Ontario depression is one of the lead causes of disabilities around the world. It is also said that one in ten Canadians will suffer from a major depressive episode in their lifetime, so it is clear that this is quite the common issue. Now that we have social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram this issue is vocalized more than ever before. I am just not quite sure it is in the right ways.

What irritates me the most is when people who may or may not suffer from depression, use it to get attention through social media.Tweets and Facebook statuses have given the world almost too large of a platform to share their thoughts. Being a person that suffers from a major depressive disorder, this kind of frustrates me. I understand there is a certain extent where you should reach out to your family and friends – although that is personally just not in my nature – but to post these personal things to the whole wide world? I do not see how that is going to help you, or anyone for that matter.

I see it everyday scrolling through my Facebook and Twitter news feeds, sometimes even deep, personal statuses complaining about this and that. I just do not understand how this is an effective tool of managing your depression. First off, thinking from a selfless perspective, I would not want to throw my problems out there for all my friends to have to soak in to their possibly good day, what a downer. I guess it would be nice to know that people care and all, but that should be on a more personal level then through social media.

While searching through twitter feeds such as #depressed, you can see these posts are incredibly common. What is the point? Maybe it is just me, but I do not want anyone’s pity because I happen to have a medical condition.Where would that get me?

I think people misuse the voice social media has given us. If you are going to post about depression, post about how you have overcome it! Encourage, inspire and help others with your posts. It is not the place to get counselling on your problems, there are outlets, organizations and people who care about you, that you can go to for that. Check out the Mood Disorders Association of Ontario for self-help groups, talk to your doctor, or a close friend or family member the next time you have a depressing thought, because guess what? These outlets will actually help you.