Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses plaguing Singaporeans. In spite of this, there are still many stigmas and misconceptions surrounding it here. Let’s take a look at 10 of them.

1. “Psh. It’s just something emo(tional) and angsty teenagers made up/something that sad people invented to get attention.”
2. “If I feel sad for some days, I must have depression.”
3. “Depression is a sign of weakness.”
4. “Men don’t get depression. Only women get it because they’re weaker than men.”
5. “It’s always brought on by traumatic life events.”
6. “Medication won’t help at all.”
7. “Medication will cure you completely.”
8. “Talking about it will make it worse, so I should just avoid it.”
9. “The best thing I can do for someone with depression is to try cheering them up.”
10. “People with depression can just snap out of it.”

Source:

1. https://www.healthline.com/health/9-myths-depression
2. https://www.communityreachcenter.org/news/six-common-misconceptions-about-depression/
3. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/depression-myths_n_5715453