Know the Signs

We live in a society where being busy is highly valued. Everyone is on the go at all times. Therefore, when someone isn’t busy, we often refer to him or her as lazy.

However, there could be other reasons as to why someone isn’t on the go all the time. One of these reasons could be that the person has depression. Some symptoms of depression include sleeping all the time and having no interest or motivation to participate in any activities.

I had a friend in college who use to always complain about her roommate just lying around all day. Her roommate would not go to class, participate in any clubs, or do any homework. Often times, she would find her roommate in the same spot all day.  My friend would often complain to me all the time about how lazy and unmotivated her roommate was. My friend would say that it did not seem fair that everyone else would be busy all day and her roommate wasn’t.

My friend later found out that her roommate wasn’t lazy but was rather suffering from depression. Once her roommate disclosed this information, my friend took the time to research depression and its symptoms. This led my friend to become more understanding and be willing to help her through her struggles. I believe it is very important for society to become aware of the signs of depression.

By becoming aware, we as a society could avoid quickly labeling those as lazy, which could make someone with depression feel even worse about themselves. Instead, we could notice the signs and then could be active in trying to get the person with depression help.

Have you ever dismissed anyone’s behavior without realizing that they were experiencing symptoms of a mental illness? Has anyone ever done this to you? Let us know in the comments!