In the recent Building Bridges column of the Catholic Times, a Taizé Brother reminds us of the many who suffer from sleep disorders caused by anxiety and stress.
Over the past few years, the number of patients receiving treatment for depression has continued to increase. Looking at statistics, the number has already exceeded 1 million in 2022, and among them, the increase in women in their 20s is the most notable. Depression is the number one cause of suicide. They can't see the end of a dark tunnel of unbearable pain.
When the columnist meets someone who has suffered from depression he is cautious and listens without judging or trying to offer help. However, it is not easy for people suffering from mental illness to admit it.
People close to you may not recognize the signs of depression or may react incorrectly, making the condition worse. Many avoid treatment due to the negative perception and stigmatization of mental illness.
In Korean society, where ability and achievement are the highest values, it is not easy to admit that one is sick and weak. It takes a lot of courage to say that you are not okay and having a hard time. It helps to have someone by your side to support you. The more isolated you are, the more difficult it is to treat.
35% of the patients with depression are in their 60s or older, and depression in the elderly is also on the rise. Depression among the youth is higher than in other countries. How many children are unable to play freely due to the hell of entrance exams and the pressure of competition?
Depression can strike anyone, teachers, priests, and religious are no exception. It can also occur without any specific cause. Experts say it is more likely to occur in people with high self-standards and consciousness of others.
One of our famous authors was hospitalized in a closed ward at the age of 23 due to severe depression and suicidal thoughts. He wrote his first collection of essays while in the hospital: “I’m a Little Depressed, but I’m an Ordinary Person” he calmly says there is value and reason to live even if not happy and cannot move forward.
This battle with the disease shows a hopelessly depressed patient with no attachment or expectation of life, who is more scared of being alive than dying, and who is trapped in the thought that nothing will get better in the future. He lives ‘doing his best even though he is shaken and broken’ while harboring a pain that no one seems to understand. The psychiatrist accompanied him throughout the process, listening to his story with patience and trust. Because he was broken, he is renewed and continues to actively engage in his creative activities, speaking to himself and his suffering neighbors.
Many people suffer from a ‘cold of the heart’ but cannot cry out. Can we change society's perception and attitude so that we can live with sick people, rather than treating them as strange and isolating and excluding them?
