Call me gullible, but when someone tells me something in session, or outside of a therapeutic context, I tend to believe them. Ok, I don’t believe all the people in the streets of nyc, who say they need $26 for a bus ticket back to Omaha (but maybe some of then do really just want to get home).
If someone tells me they are depressed, I’m probably going to believe them. If someone were “faking it”…..we’ll, guess what, I’d take that as a sign of depression anyway.
Why do people say such things about people “faking” depression? I’d say this has to do with the stigma about mental health, and the general disbelief that it even exists, since people can’t see it.
Why do people believe that the Earth is flat or that, climate change is not real, and that 9/11 was a Jewish conspiracy? People are ignorant. This doesn’t mean they are “bad”, but it does mean that they are not critical thinkers and are buying into stories that people are selling, because they like the story on some level. I wish it weren’t the case but it is. Critical thinking is not something that is automatic but something that must be learned and nurtured. Many people have an investment in people not thinking critically. It’s a lot easier to manipulate people who don’t think for themselves. It unfortunately has the side effect of people accepting any nonsense that is presented to them, and fits into whatever assumptions they already have about the world.
To find out more about my services click here: Therapy for Depression