LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)— When you’re sad, you can feel it for a day, and the next you can feel perfectly normal. Depression, unlike being sad, is a mental illness that can affect you for years.
Meet 27-Year-Old Claude Johnson-Perry
For Claude Johnson-Perry of Lansing, depression is something he’s battelled for more than 10-years, preventing him from accomplishing basic everyday tasks. His depression at its peak when he was a senior in high school.
“It was at the point where I was not really taking care of myself at all I was not bathing not brushing my teeth I would just lay on the couch and cry for hours,” said Johnson-Perry. “I did have a few friends at the time who uh they encouraged me to see a school counselor and um honestly the school counselor wasn’t very helpful; since they’re not ideally certified for that but with the help of my friends I did eventually realize that life is worth living.”
For Claude Johnson-Perry, throughout the years, his depression has gotten a little better, and while there are still days where he feels like he is spiraling, and the thought of brushing his own teeth feels daunting, he focuses on things to keep him motivated like his son.
“He depends on me because I mean obviously right but there’s also my husband he depends on me as well then there’s my mother-in-law and my brother and a few of my friends.”
Johnson-Perry’s story isn’t an uncommon one.
Meet 21-Year-Old Logan Fish
Recent Michigan State University graduate Logan Fish from Okemos, also describes her experience with depression, as a constant battle, and one she’s faced for the majority of her life.
“Ongoing battle of feeling hopeless and having to convince your brain like oh no life is beautiful and you got so much to be thankful for a cause your brain doesn’t really see that,” said Fish. “I started my struggle with depression really in my pre-teens um it really just started me no longer enjoying things I previously enjoyed like I was in choir and that was really my passion and when the depression hit me I wasn’t in it anymore and it didn’t bring me the same joy that it used to.”
For Fish, she also found that experiencing depression, left her in a state of mind where taking care of herself was hard.
“There wasn’t really a point in doing anything so um my room would get really messy, my hygiene would get really bad because I didn’t see a point in taking care of myself because of the way my brain made me think was that things would just get worse again.”
Fish’s battle continues, but she tells 6 News she’s seeking help and getting support for MSU, where she learned some tricks to help manage her illness.
Sad VS. Depression
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2019 47,511 died by suicide in the United States. 4.7% of adults aged 18 and over with regular feelings of depression. 9.3% of physician office visits have depression indicated on the medical record and 11.2% of emergency department visits have depression indicated on the medical record.
Experts say symptoms of depression include:
- difficulties with sleep
- difficulties with appetite
- low energy
- difficulty with concentration
- short term memory issues
John Baker, the Medical Director of Sparrow Behavior Health says, one of the biggest differences between someone who is sad, and someone who is depressed, is how it affects their ability to function.
“Somebody with sadness who wishes to communicate is usually really good about communicating that feeling rather than indicated that it affected other components in their life like depression does, the biggest difference between sadness and depression is the inability to function the way one usually does.”
Get Help
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can get mental health assistance by clicking here.
Both Claude and Logan say finding a support system is important, and remind people that they aren’t alone.
The number for the National for National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They’re committed to improving crisis services and advancing suicide prevention by empowering individuals, advancing professional best practices, and building awareness.
You can also find help by clicking here.