This might come off as ranty but I'm starting to believe everyone under the sun is depressed. No I'm not talking about clinical depression where you're diagnosed by a doctor with having it. I'm talking about this new era of self-diagnosing yourself with depression through a quick google search, memes, and forums. I just feel like it's a badge of honor to have now. You get soooo much praise for coming out about it. All your friends wants to be there for you and doing whatever it takes to "fix" you.

Then there's me who's thinking I'm not professionally trained to handle this, I've got my own problems trying to better myself, and you want me to just do nothing but listen to your problems until the depression passes over, while not knowing when that'll be? Cause if I don't do that I'm not a "real" friend but an asshole for not wanting to be there.

This depression shit has crept up on everything I'm involved in. I can't go on a date without a girl hinting it through a "rough time" and trying my hardest not roll my eyes to the back of my head. I tend to make a comment "yeh who doesn't nowadays" and switch topics immediately. There's tv shows and books starting to profit from it (13 reasons why is huge I hear). You got people getting paid on worldwide tours to speak talking about it. Some of my friends who are just lazy in my eyes (parents pay for everything, little to no school, watches YouTube/Netflix all day, doesn't work), are just coming out about their new self-diagnosed depression.

I'm starting to think, am I an asshole cause I don't believe ALL these people around me claiming they have depression actually have it? Is coming out as depressed a new trend for validation/attention seeking? Does depression have a spectrum?

I want to reiterate I BELIEVE CLINICAL DEPRESSION IS A REAL ILLNESS. But this new wave of self-diagnosed depression is at a all time high. Are there any mentally stable folks left?