Depression appears to be the new black.
Seemingly in every newspaper recently another celebrity stares glumly at the camera telling of their experience with depression.
But is depression really a recent thing? Has depression suddenly become the must-have issue to acquire? I'm not so sure.
I am more inclined to believe that more and more people are coming out of the woodwork and talking about it and therefore naturally it is being exposed more.
This is a good thing as it's strength is lessened when it is exposed.
One thing I could never do from my chair in my room is profess to know the extent of any individual's problem.
Are people who are merely having a bad day going to bandy the word 'depression' about? Sure they are, particularly if they are hearing it more and more.
Are people going to self diagnose and exaggerate? Sure they are.
The unfortunate thing is the uninformed nonsense coming from people who then feel they are in a position to make sweeping statements about everybody who has had depression touch their lives.
Talking authoritatively about something that you have not experienced is pure ignorance, but that doesn't stop people from doing it.
The result of course is very damaging.
People with real depression are not especially forthcoming about it from a natural fear of being judged or misunderstood.
I myself never discussed my depression or suicide attempts for decades and still write about it incognito.
It is those people who will slink back into the shadows and not get treatment in time.
It is those who are made to feel that rather than coping with a genuinely serious problem they are merely sharing the newest celebrity trend who will reject treatment for something that appears to be so shallow and will battle along by themselves.
This is why depression must not be treated as the new black.
It is a real issue, it hurts, it lingers, it returns, it can be terminal and is not a joke.