TMS THERAPY
FDA-cleared, non-medication depression treatment
“If someone needs my help for anything, I’m there. I’ll be the friend they can count on to listen to them and give them advice on whatever issues they may be facing. But I can’t ask for help for myself. It’s just too hard.” Does this sound like you? We all may have different reasons, but you are not the only one having a hard time asking for help. Asking for help exposes you in a way that not many things do. You may feel like you’re opening up too much. That you’re too vulnerable; and you may fear the consequences of that exposure. The stress and anxiety associated with this can even be an even bigger trigger for depression than what originally had us needing help.
Do any of these apply to you? Here are some of the reasons why asking for help can feel scary or selfish:
Some people feel like asking for help is admitting failure, like they lost a battle that everyone else wins or that they're being selfish. In fact, it's the complete opposite. Acknowledging your own weaknesses and admitting that you need help takes a lot of strength.
On top of the fear of failure there’s the fear of rejection. Imagine gathering enough strength to ask for help and being turned down. Support for depression can come from many sources; close friends and family members are one outlet, but you can also reach out to mental health counselors, doctors, or even online forums where the community can provide you with links to professional help. If you don't get the support you need right away, keep trying.
Sometimes we feel like we have no reason to feel this way. We tend to undermine the severity of our symptoms and tell ourselves to just “get over it” even when we fully know it is not that simple.
Dr. William Sauvé , Regional Medical Director for Greenbrook TMS NeuroHealth Centers in Virginia, notes that this “pull yourself up by your boostraps” mentality comes from a common depression misconception of “People believing that they should be able to "make themselves" feel better. People feel ashamed of depression because they can't believe they can't snap themselves out of it — and that's part of the illness. The myth is caused by the illness and perpetuated by those who haven't had depression.” Remember that when it comes to depression, you can't just "snap out of it." Depression is a medical condition that needs professional treatment.
Depression doesn't mean a person is "broken" and it doesn't mean that a person with depression just lays in bed all day, doing nothing. It's true that depression can be linked to a trauma such as divorce, loss of a loved one, abuse, or hardship. But the truth is that depression doesn't discriminate. It can affect anyone, regardless of race, age, gender, or socioeconomic status.
These and many other situations contribute to a never ending and vicious cycle where we feel bad, we want to talk to someone, we feel bad about burdening others, and so we feel bad again.
Reaching out is never a sign of weakness or a reason to feel ashamed. Recognizing that these negative feelings are all part of your depression will help avoid the temptation of isolating yourself. Next time you start getting anxious about reaching out to someone; remember that while the risk is still there… so is the opportunity. You deserve to feel your best. We're here to help.
Take our 6 question quiz to see if TMS therapy could be right for you
Subscribe for mental health, self-care, and TMS therapy updates for those affected by treatment-resistant depression or OCD.
Thank you for subscribing to our email list!
Oops, there was an error adding your subscription.
Please try again later.
By providing your email address, you are consenting to receive blog updates from Greenbrook TMS Inc. You may unsubscribe from these alerts at any time by following the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of email alerts. At Greenbrook TMS Inc. we take the privacy and security of your personal information seriously. To learn more about how we protect your personal information, please refer to our Privacy Policy.
Greenbrook TMS supports an accessible internet. If you have any questions about our accessibility features, please contact us at
866.928.6076 and/or info@greenbrooktms.com.
All Rights Reserved | Greenbrook TMS NeuroHealth Centers.