My family doesn't understand either. My older brother calls my depression a "malfunction". Unfortunately, unless you have experienced depression, it seems to be very difficult to understand it. Even therapists have a hard time, I've noticed. I wish I had a suggestion for you, but everyone has to deal with their family as they see best.

Annie

Hi Pinkpumpkin

No my family doesn't understand at all what I am going through and they are unable to even comprehend the idea of depression.
If you have a good relationship with your Aunt then perhaps try talking to her again, explain that you need some support from her. Explain exactly what you want her to do to support you, be it calling each week or focusing on something else
Is there anyway that you could go see a dentist and set up a payment plan?
Thinking of you
xxx

This may sound cold, but your family needs to know that "what goes around, comes around". A few years back, i had panic attacks, out of state family didnt know. They came to visit and i found out that my dear niece was having them, and her mom (who is a wonderful person, very caring) tried but couldnt understand and would get impatient with her at times. I could understand tho, and i could actually help her, and when she got home sent me a long letter telling me she was coping better. The moral of this story tho, is that a year or two later, my sister-in-law called, and wanted to apologize b/c she herself was now suffering fm panic attacks, and knew how horrible they were. She felt so bad that she wasnt as understanding as she could have been with her daughter. People sometimes just cant understand what certain conditions or situations are like until they themselves unfortunately go thru them. I never wish anything bad on people, but sometimes, karma really can be a bitch.......

does my family understand me? the simple answer...no. I can give you a more complex one later, but it would be disrespectful as it would take a book.

Pink,

My family do not understand me either. There was a family altercation while I was in the hospital with my mom. I have three brothers who lives in California, one of them called our home to speak with my youngest brother (who is 38 and lives with me and my mom). He did not know that the brother who called him had my oldest brother on the phone. Those two brothers had an argument and some ways tryed to get my youngest brother involved. To shortened the story, I have a few people in my family who thinks low of me. I get called names like moms puppet, immature and the list goes on. I try to ignore those remarks but I'm thinking more about my moms health because of the fact that everytime she is under stress, her body began to cover in hives, her immune system had even suppressed.

I will stop now because my story is very long and it is rude to talk to much on someon elses's time. Hugs to you pink........

People who have never had depression, do not have a clue what we go through in our minds. They can not relate and often times they will say "just get over it " or statements like "just snap out of it".

The bad thing about depression is that is comes on so slow over a period of time that we do not realize what the problem is until we are often times, in trouble.

I would break down and start crying for no apparent reason. I would be outside, on the tractor, on a bright sunny day, and this terrible feeling of gloom and doom would come over me. I would weep and weep and not even know what was wrong or why.

Depression is a serious disease and it takes its toll on us emotionally, socially and physically. Finding the right meds and in some cases, a therapist, that can help us cope with these cycling times of depression. I took meds from 1995 to 2005, I got off all the meds then, my son was killed and I relapsed. I had to go back on meds, again in June of 2005 and was on them until Nov. of 2011. I am not med free and doing well again.

Do not feel you are in this boat of misunderstanding alone, We have all been there. There are some great people here who will help you understand this disease and work with you through it.

I tried telling family in jr. high and failed. I masked my pain for 14 years, went to therapy on my own 2, got meds also. downward spiraled and after my last suicide attempt they finally figured out, hmm maybe this depression thing is actually real. NO one will really every truely understand what we are like unless they are one of us. but talking about it will help the best, masking it does not.

my family is so dysfunctional I got away from them decades ago. They would never understand - they don't even see how sick they all are.

I understand what you are going through.. I too have no motivation and my mom, who also lives out of state calls me all the time with a list of things that I never accomplish. I get so down on myself. Things as simple as taking the library books back to picking up the house. It just seems like so much. Idk how your aunt is but maybe if you tell her that things just are not right and you are really struggling and it would help if she was more aware of how depression works it can help. I have no insurance and just had a miscarriage and have already been to the ER and was suppose to go back but can't afford to and my Mom is on my case. It makes it so much worse, she has offered to pay but I still feel guilty and don't want that either. Take comfort in knowing there is help and support, even if family isn't always there. Take care :)

I can relate to pulling away even from people who are supportive, which it sounds like your aunt is trying to be. It's very hard to stay motivated when you're depressed and it's all too easy to just pull away and isolate. But I also agree that most people who have never had depression really don't have any idea what it's like and may tend to minimize what we go through. Either way, you need to surround yourself with people who do understand, like people here at DS.

I don't try to make them understand anymore. If I don't understand it how do I expect others to understand it. I use DS to share my feelings.

No my family does not understand. They say they do but I do not think so. Unless you have been through tt there is no understanding it.

My family doesn't understand and they don't care either. They don't think anything is wrong with me. They say that I am crazy.

I'm not so sure anyone really understands until they go through similar things. I wish it was easier. Hugs