Mark Cavendish says he thought depression was “an excuse” – until he was diagnosed with it

Absolutely, and "having someone you can talk to", as well as being largely ineffective (certainly in the short term), is a horrific burden to put upon a listener, especially where they don't have clinical training and/or experience. Depression is a chronic, potentially life-threatening condition that can last for years. It's not "just the blues".

Everyone's experience of and relationship with depression will be different, though. Underneath the depression, the people are still individuals, and just because one person responds in one way to something is no guide to how it will affect the next person.

Maybe so, but I think a lot of people who are depressed say they have depression, which tends to trivialise it.

cafezinh062 wrote:

Maybe so, but I think a lot of people who are depressed say they have depression, which tends to trivialise it.

Really?

Saying you have an illness makes it trivial? Try doing that with a broken leg or coronavirus. Trivialisation is when people think they are depressed when they often just have a negative mindset, similarly people talk casually about their OCD when they clearly don't.

Sadly far too many people don't want to admit to depression publicly (and even privately) because of the stigma that is still attached to mental illness. It's one of the reasons for the terrible suicide stats among men. Apparently an average of 83 men a week are dying by suicide in England and Wales.

Peope who haven't experienced real depression or lived / worked with sufferers really don't have a fucking clue. It would be better if they said as much or simply STFU. And judging Mark's mental health based on a few quotes from an interview shows mind-blowing ignorance.

Don't want to speak for cafe, but I assumed they meant "Maybe so, but I think a lot of people who aren't depressed say they have depression, which tends to trivialise it."

If I'm correct, this is most definitely the case. A bit like 

"why are you limping?" . "aaah, just a bit of a broken leg. It'll clear up by lunchtime"

Of course, folk are usually sympathetic to a broken leg, and there is little or no stigma (unless of course it was sustained whilst not wearing a cycle helmet). This also enables humour to be acceptable around it. The stigma of depression however ensures that people won't/don't/can't speak up when they are suffering, and of course it is rather difficult to be humourous whilst in an emotional void.

I thought what they meant was that you can be depressed without having (clinical) depression.

Which is true, but in this case Cavendish has had a clinical diagnosis, and would know best what his experience of that was, and what helped him.

That doesn't mean, though, that what helped him would necessarily help another person suffering from depression.

Must admit that perspective didn't occur to me. It's not a usage that I'd employ due to the opportunity for confusion.

Regarding the second part of your comment, very true.

Yes, that's exactly what I meant. You can be depressed about your football team losing or your dog dying etc., but that's usually a temporary condition and totally different to having clinical depression, which is  long lasting and totally debilitating. Cavendish may have been diagnosed with clinical depression but appears to have mostly overcome it judging by this interview. 

What I meant was being depressed isn't the same as having clinical depression. A lot of people say they have depression when what they mean is that they are feeling depressed. To me this trivializes clinical depression.

Yep agreed

Thanks for that, makes far more sense now.

If someone say they are depressed by their football team losing a game then they are using a totally inappropriate word. Disappointed, or maybe saddened at a push, but then again I've never understood investing that much emotional energy in watching some blokes hoofing a ball around. Even the Tour, which is a magnificent spectacle and has plenty of drama, twists and turns and many intriguing narrative threads, is still only some blokes riding bikes. Which is great to watch but really it's all just entertainment. Bread and circuses, plus a huge dose of marketing for brands and products.

Hi Simon, did you read my original post? I live with someone who had clinical depression for over 10 years so I think I'm entitled to an opinion. I believe you may have misunderstood my response to mdavidford. I wasn't talking about people with depression trivializing their condition to keep up appearances, what I meant was people who feel depressed about something saying they have real depression, which in my view trivializes that condition. Your point about the stigma surrounding depression and mental illness in general is very valid and I totally agree.

The comment I replied to today makes much more sense (and explained the first), as I mentioned. That's all.

Opinions are fine, I never said they weren't. And you don't need to live with someone with clinical depression to have an opinion on this topic (though the experience invariably makes a massive difference, as we and others can attest).

alchemilla wrote:

I hope Cav finds something positive to do with the rest of his life

Err.......

He's married to Peta Todd.

For those of us of a certain age she used to grace the un-PC pages of certain lads mags and national newspaper, certainly brightening up my day.

If Cav isn't happy jumpimg into bed with that every night, depression is the least of his worries.

Did you really refer to Mrs Cavendish as "that"?

You're the one who has mental problems.

FFS, don't take everything so literally.

It was a joke.

As someone who's suffered his own battles with depression over the years a bit of humour however puerile isn't to be sniffed at.

It's a pity some people have their heads shoved so far up their own backsides that they can't see a joke when it's staring them in the face.

Everyone has a past, including Mrs Cavendish. I'm sure both she and Mark can live with it, perhaps you should too, as it will always be there.

Cargobike wrote:

Everyone has a past, including Mrs Cavendish. I'm sure both she and Mark can live with it, perhaps you should too, as it will always be there.

Reminds me of the kid off Outnumbered. Called Tyger Drew-Honey and is the son of two porn stars and could easily have been concieved on camera....

How he managed to survive secondary school is anyones guess. Maybe he invited mates round alot to visit when his mum was around. 

Love a bit of puerile humour me.

Although I'd not say that objectifying someone (that I presume you don't know) sits in the bracket of "joke". It was a pretty offensive comment to make about another human being, whether or not you are Mr /Mrs Cavendish, or whether or not you have suffered from depression.

Captain Badger wrote:

I'd not say that objectifying someone (that I presume you don't know) sits in the bracket of "joke".

Isn't a glamour model somewhat self-objectifying?

Jokes should be funny.  Your comment didn't fit that description.

Cargobike wrote:

FFS, don't take everything so literally.

It was a joke.

It wasn't obvious to me either. Not aided by the fact that too many people really do think that way (The Scum still sells 1.4 million copies per day).

Or was nortonp's response also a joke but you didn't realise and took the bait?