Clinical depression is a mental disorder that causes a melancholy mood and loss of interest of activities. It is not just being sad or unhappy. Kids today have used the term “depressed” or “depression” as a term of slang for meaning disappointment or sadness. It is thrown around incorrectly as a slang word.

Depression is a real and serious issue and there are too many jokes connected to it. People need to stop using “depression” as slang or as humor. It should never be a topic used out of context to fulfill a joke.

People have used “depression” as a casual word. Some claim that they are depressed, but nobody can really know due to the repetition of the word. It’s hard to know whether to believe the people who claim to have this medical illness. It has caused a “boy who cried wolf” situation and also a loss of trust and belief in someone. This also makes people who actually have depression feel untrustworthy and like a liar and to the people who aren’t depressed, it gives them unnecessary or even unwanted attention.

A common argument against this can be that it is just a joke and no harm is meant to come out of it. This is not always true. Depression can truly take over someone’s life and that is no laughing matter. When people make claims of depression, they may create a down spiral for someone else who has clinical depression because they turn this serious matter into a joke. Harm can come out of these statements.

A simple solution can arise for this problem. Thinking before speaking. It is so simple and yet only some can do it. If people think before they speak, they can truly help someone else with their journey through clinical depression.

Depression is not a joke and it should never be. It is not a casual word to throw around, it is a serious medical condition. It has meaning to people, and it does not simply mean sad. Thinking before speaking is the key to unlock this problem’s door.