Hurting inside?

I've talked before about my struggles with depression, in a  post to give some insight as to what natural depression "remedies" are out there, what I've tried myself and how well it worked. But let's think about depression now in larger picture mode?

Depression is a proven chemical imbalance, brain malfunction that many people experience. It can come about naturally or it can be "nurtured" through traumatic experiences. Mine comes from both. I won't go into the trauma in my life here, but I will say that there is depression firmly rooted on both sides of my genetic pool.

But it's still so stigmatized. Even now I hear solutions to the problem being thrown out like "working will solve anything" and "just eat right and exercise and you'll be fine." Depression reaches it's tentacles into every facet of one's life and it's not as easily dismissed as going to work and eating a balanced diet. Not for many people, and mine is documented as MEDICATION RESISTANT and long term. It will never simply go away.

Some things to think about when it comes to dealing with depression.
1. It often manifests itself into very physical forms. Aches and pains that are non-specific and generalized. Headaches, belly aches, muscle aches.
2. It can present itself as irritability, anger and anxiety.
3. It can seriously affect your sleep cycles and your circadian rhythm, making you wake up early, struggle with falling asleep and excessively tired during the day.
4. Anhedonia or the complete loss of joy in all things is a SERIOUS and debilitating side effect of ongoing/chronic depression.
5. There are intense and sort lived depressions and ones that last a life time. It's more than just having a 'morose' personality, it's an ongoing struggle.
6. People who are depressed do NOT want it. They are not creating in on purpose or keeping it up for attention, though attention may be part of what is needed to break the cycle and some of the behaviors may indeed be a "cry for help". These people want to work and be productive, want to be happy and fulfilled in life, want to keep on top of things and be joyful. But it's an honest struggle.
7. People with depression are not lazy. Laziness is something else entirely.
8. Depression, even mild depression, can cause seriously disabling effects on a persons life.
9. There is no magic bullet or pill or therapy that will work for everybody. The cause of depression is so varied and widespread, so naturally so are the things that help.
10. Depression is not just a mental illness, but a physical one. It should be considered as such.

My own struggles are ongoing and will probably always be so. I have come to the realization that the more I talk about it, the more I share, the more empowered I am over it myself. It's not a deep dark or shameful secret, but a hard fact of life. It's not a stigma and shouldn't be anymore uncomfortable or shocking to people than saying "I have a cold" or "I have a heart condition". It's a disease that I have. No more than that, and it affects every single thing I do, the same as that heart condition would.