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每年有超过80万人死于自杀，而抑郁症是自杀的高危诱因。在刚刚过去的世界预防自杀日，抑郁症再度成为社会关注焦点。
抑郁症不是软弱的意志或消极的个性，它是一种疾病。全世界有超过3.5亿人在遭受抑郁症的折磨。
Depression has been part of my journey for a very long time. Long before I knew what to call it, there it was walking with me, side by side. There it was, holding my hand, invading my thoughts, causing me to sleep longer, eat more and rarely smile whenever I spent time alone with myself. I learned to dance the dance, to smile for my friends, for my parents, for the audience, for the camera. I smiled; all the while inside a hurricane was sweeping me into an ocean of darkness.
—Terrie M. Williams, a celebrity publicist who has represented stars from Eddie Murphy to Chris Rock
从很早以前开始，抑郁症已成为我生命旅途的一部分，早到我还不知道那是什么，它就已经和我并肩而行，拉着我的手，侵入我的思想，让我在独处时，睡眠愈长，吃得愈多，笑容愈少。我学会玩它的游戏，学会在朋友、父母、观众、镜头前笑。我面上笑着，内心却有一股飓风把我卷入黑暗的汪洋。
——特里·M·威廉姆斯，明星公关，为艾迪·墨菲、克里斯·洛克等明星担任经纪人
It creeps up on you, like a snake slithering in the grass, silent but deadly. One minute everything's fine, you're laughing with your friends, or singing along to your favorite tune, and the next the pillows are stained with your tears and the giant sitting on your chest just won't leave you alone.
它悄悄接近你，像草丛里滑过的蛇，无声却致命。这一分钟还一切安好，你和朋友开怀大笑，和着喜爱的旋律歌唱，下一分钟，枕头已沾染你的眼泪，那个巨怪压在你的胸口不肯离去。
For a time I retreated from social contact and preferred to spend time alone in my room, wallowing in my own grief. There were physical symptoms; a tightening of my chest and difficulty breathing. During this time, all the cursory words of well-wishes and platitudes from close friends and loved ones did nothing for me. They meant well, of course, but I was lost in my own planet of hopelessness and self-pity.
—Paul John Ca?a, the managing editor of Lifestyle Asia magazine
我一度远离社交，宁愿一人呆在房间，独自吞咽自己的痛苦。身体上的一些症状也显现出来：胸闷、气短。这种时候，亲朋至爱潦草的祝愿和陈词滥调起不了丝毫作用。他们当然出于好意，只是我已经迷失在了自己绝望和自怜的世界里。
——保罗·约翰·卡纳，《亚洲生活》杂志总编辑
The opposite of depression is not happiness, as I was not unhappy. It's the "vitality" on the other side of the pole. My body was trapped by the medical condition, so was my life. It drained my energy, and sucked my life.
—Zhu Yi, executive editor of Global Premier magazine
抑郁症的对面不是"快乐"，就像我并没有不快乐。抑郁症的对面是"活力"，是我的身体被病困住了，导致我的人生也如同被困住了，我体内的精力好似被榨干了，导致我的人生也如同被抽空了。
——朱熠，《环球首映》杂志执行主编
[抑郁症的症状]
Depression varies from person to person, but there are some common signs and symptoms, such as: feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, loss of interest in former hobbies, significant weight loss or weight gain, insomnia or oversleeping, anger or irritability, self-loathing, concentration problems, unexplained aches and pains, and suicidal thoughts*.
每个人的抑郁症病情都不一样，但也有一些共同病症，例如，感到无助无望、失去对以往爱好的兴趣、体重显著减少或增加、失眠或嗜睡、愤怒或易怒、自我厌恶、精力难集中、原因不明的疼痛，以及自杀的想法等。
*Thoughts of death or suicide are a serious symptom of depression. Warning signs include talking about death or suicide, threatening to hurt people, or engaging in aggressive or risky behavior. Take any suicidal talk or behavior seriously. It's not just a warning sign; it's a cry for help.
有死亡或自杀的念头是严重的抑郁症症状。值得警惕的迹象包括，谈论死亡或自杀、威胁伤害他人，或从事攻击性或危险的活动。严肃对待任何关于自杀的谈话或行为，这不仅是一个警报，更是他们求救的信号。
一些疾病能找到医学上的病因，因此可以对症下药。而抑郁症要复杂得多。
When speaking about his experience of depression, Zhu Yi said, "I visited loads of doctors and had numerous examinations, but none shed any light on my illness, until one day, a doctor suggested I see a psychologist. I scoffed at the idea at first, as I assumed myself to be too liberal and optimistic to develop any mental problems, and few events in recent years could have made me feel depressed. What's more, all my physical symptoms seemed to have little things to do with a psychological illness." He eventually went to see the psychologist and was confirmed to have depression.
朱熠在讲述自己的抑郁症经历时说，"我看了大量的医生，做了大量的检查，统统无解。终有一日，遇到靠谱的医生建议我去看心理科。初初听到这个诊断，我觉得很可笑，我是一个豁达开朗之人，而且近几年并不曾有过什么让我郁郁不平的心事，何来的心理疾病，而且我统统都是生理上的症状，与心理疾病又有何干。"但他还是去了，果然诊断出是抑郁症。
来源：银河演员网新闻
The psychologist asked him a lot of personal questions, and analyzed the cause of his depression as the heavy work load and pressure of his last job, which had lasted 3 years, and the resulting stress he hadn't released at the time that led to a final breakdown after he quit the job.
医生问了他大量的个人问题，为爲他细细分析病因，判定他是因上一份持续三年的工作强度与压力过大，且没能及时调整与排解，而导致在离职后，积攒下来的压力瞬间喷薄而出，从而引发了抑郁症。
In fact, depression is an extremely complex disease. It occurs for a variety of reasons. Experts believe that it is caused by a complicated combination of genetic, environmental, biological, psychological and social factors. Some people experience depression during a serious medical illness. Others may have depression with life changes such as a move or the death of a loved one. Still others have a family history of depression.
实际上，抑郁症是一种极其复杂的疾病，病发原因多种多样。专家认为它是一系列因素复杂结合的产物，如基因、环境、生物、心理和社会因素。一些人因遭受严重疾病而产生抑郁症，一些人也许是因为生活上的变化，如搬家或亲人的去世，还有一些人则可能有抑郁症的家族病史。
Sometimes, the exact cause of depression is untraceable and unidentifiable; so it swoops in when you don't expect it, and you can't even explain why it's happening.
有时很难断定导導致抑郁症的确切原因，它会在最不可能的时候发起突袭，你甚至无法解释这一切从何而来。
抗击抑郁症除了要接受专业的治疗，身边人的关心和支持也非常重要。
Rick Martin, a senior news editor at CNN, who has won the battle against depression, recalled the exact moment when he found the courage to fight the disease.
CNN的资深新闻编辑輯里克·马丁战胜了抑郁症。他是这样回忆那个让他找到与病魔斗争的勇气的时刻的：
"One day after school, I was at home babysitting my 7-year-old sister. I became overwhelmed with anxiety. Tears rolled down my face. I was scared, but didn't know what I would do. I picked up the phone and called a classmate named Lori Lee. I don't recall exactly what I said, but I know I was at my end. She listened intently. After we hung up, she called a teacher, Mrs Jo Henry, and within minutes Jo appeared on my doorstep. Suddenly, I was not alone. She then called my parents, and suddenly I was surrounded by a village. A village that gave me the courage not to hide from them my pain."
"有一天放学后，我回家照看7岁的妹妹，突然一阵陣焦虑感将我淹没，眼泪滚滚而下。我吓坏了，不知该如何是好。我抓起电话打给一个叫罗莉·李的同学，也不记得当时说了什么，只知道自己已无路可走。她很认真地听了。挂了电话后，她找了老师乔·亨利，没几分钟，乔出现在了我家门口。一瞬间，我不再孤单了。她后来又打电话叫来了我父母，下一刻我仿佛已置身于一个村庄。这个個村庄给了我勇气，让我不再隐藏我的痛苦。"
Having a strong support system will speed recovery. But not everyone knows how to adopt a right approach. You may even feel confused, frustrated and distraught yourself when dealing with someone struggling with depression. Maybe you feel like you're walking on eggshells because you're afraid of upsetting them even more. Maybe you're at such a loss that you've adopted the silent approach.
提供一个强有力的支持体系能够加快抑郁症的治愈，但并不是每个人都知道如何采取正确的方法。在面对一个经受抑郁症折磨的人时，你自己或许也会感到很困惑、挫败、烦乱。你也许觉得如履薄冰，因为你怕增加他们的烦恼。你也许会因为太过迷茫而干脆选择沉默。
But your support is significant. And you can learn the various ways to best support your loved one. Below, Deborah Serani, a psychologist who's struggled with depression herself, shares some valuable strategies.
然而你的支持是很重要的。你可以学习各种方法来最好地帮助你爱的人。曾与與抑郁做过斗争的心理学家黛博拉·塞拉尼分享了以下几个宝贵策略。
1. Be there 陪伴
The best thing you can do for someone with depression is to be there. "When I was struggling with my own depression, the most healing moments came when someone I loved simply sat with me while I cried, or wordlessly held my hand, or spoke warmly to me with statements like, 'You're so important to me.' 'Tell me what I can do to help you.' 'We're going to find a way to help you to feel better,'" Serani said.
面对抑郁症患者，你能为他/她做的最好的事，就是陪伴。塞拉尼说，"当我挣扎在抑郁中时，最治愈的时刻是我哭泣时，我爱的人坐在身边，或不说话只拉着我的手，或说一些温暖的话语，如'你真的对對我很重要'、'告诉我我可以怎么帮你'、'我们会找到办法让你好起来的'。"
2. Don't judge or criticize 不要评价或批判
Avoid saying statements such as: "You just need to see things as half full, not half empty" or "I think this is really all just in your head. If you got up out of bed and moved around, you'd see things better." These words imply that your loved one has a choice in how they feel – and has chosen, by free will, to be depressed. Such remarks are not only insensitive, they can isolate your loved one even more.
避免说这样的话："你只要看事情好的一面而不是坏的一面，"或"我认为这都是你想出来的。你起床走走，就会感觉好些了。"这些话的潜台词就是，他们可以选選择怎么去感受，却自觉选择了抑郁。这种话不但麻木不仁，更会使你爱的人更加孤立。
3. Avoid the tough-love approach 避免强势的爱
Many individuals think that being tough on their loved one will undo their depression or inspire positive behavioral changes. For instance, some people might intentionally be impatient with their loved one, push their boundaries, use silence, be callous or even give an ultimatum (e.g., "You better snap out of it or I'm going to leave"). But consider that this is as useless, hurtful and harmful as ignoring, pushing away or not helping someone who has cancer.
很多人认为粗暴对待爱人或亲人可以赶走抑郁或激发出积极的变化。例如，有些人会故意表现出不耐烦，不断施压，用沉默、冷酷甚至最后通牒(如，"你最好赶紧振作起来，不然我就离开你")来來对待他们。但这和无视、推开或拒绝帮助一个癌症患者一样，有百害而无一益。
4. Don't minimize their pain 不要轻视他们的痛苦
Statements such as "You're just too thin-skinned" or "Why do you let every little thing bother you?" invalidates what a person with depression is experiencing, and completely glosses over the fact that they're struggling with a difficult disorder – not some weakness or personality flaw.
"你只是太敏感了"或"你为什么总为各种小事烦心？"这种话等于否定了抑郁症患者经受的痛苦，且完全无视他们是在和一种很难应付的精神障碍作斗争，而不是个人性格上的软弱或缺陷。
5. Avoid offering advice 避免提建议
It probably seems natural to share advice with your loved one. But while it may be true that the depressed person needs guidance, offering it is likely to make them feel insulted or even more inadequate and further detached. Instead ask, "What can we do to help you feel better?" This gives your love one the opportunity to ask for help.
或许给你爱的人提一些建议是很正常的事，抑郁的人确实也需要指导，但这类建议会让他们感到被侮辱，甚至更加觉得自己毫无用处，从而继续封闭自己。不如换个方式，这样樣问，"我们怎么才能让你感觉好一点？"这就给了他们求助的机会。
6. Learn as much as you can about depression 尽量了解抑郁症
Once you can identify the symptoms of depression and understand its course and consequences, you can better support your loved one. For instance, some people assume that if a person with depression has a good day, they're cured. According to Serani, "Depression is not a static illness. There is an ebb and flow to symptoms that many non-depressed people misunderstand."
一旦你确定了抑郁症的症状、过程和结果，你就能更好地帮助你爱愛的人。例如，有些人以为抑郁症患者某一天心情不错，他们的病就好了。塞拉尼说，"抑郁症不是一种静态的疾病，其病症会會有起伏波动，没得过这种病的人多半会误解。"
7. Be patient 耐心
Patience is a pivotal part of supporting your loved one. "When you're patient with your loved ones, you're letting them know that it doesn't matter how long this is going to take, or how involved the treatments are going to be, or the difficulties that accompany the passage from symptom onset to recovery, because you will be there. With such patience comes hope," Serani said.
耐心是支持你爱的人的关键。塞拉尼说，"耐心对待你的爱人或亲人，让他们知道，无论多久，无论要接受多少治疗，无论从发病到治愈的过程有多艰难，你都会陪伴在他们身边。有了这样的耐心，就会有希望。"
内容来源:ChinaDaily双语手机报(回复"免费体验"查看免费阅閱读30天使用方式)
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