[RockMaterial]

How do you deal with or explain your situation to someone who says:

"Just wake up and be happy."

"You're not trying hard enough."

"You're going to a THERAPIST?!"

"You have a good life, why are you so ungrateful?"

"You're just lazy!"

I would really like this person in my life, he's my dad, but I'm not too sure I can handle his criticism along with my woes for much longer. I want to make him understand what I'm going through, so as to salvage the relationship.

[growlithing]

You don't. Depression is something that if people don't understand it, they usually won't understand it unless they go through. I told my mom that I thought I might be depressed. She told me that I was just bored and so much of a pain that she sometimes regrets that I was born. She's a doctor. She's well aware of what depression is. People like that will not ever understand it. It's a waste of time trying to teach her.

But I don't want to damn your relationship with your dad. I hope you realize that those things he says to you is very damaging and abusive. I guess the only way you'd be able to get him to understand is to tell him that you don't need to have a reason to be depressed and then explain what it is from a medical standpoint. Then you could talk about the feelings surrounding it and stuff like that. Of course this requires him to be willing to really try to understand and be able to recognize that his mindset is wrong.

[bharani1008]

I'd talk to a therapist or counselor before I tackled someone resistant to new ideas. People who have never suffered from depression cannot understand what it is like. People with little imagination or empathy will be hard to deal with. Try not to give them a handle to beat you with. Don't talk back or fight because you will open yourself to attack. You need to be a bit strong to confront people like this. However, sometimes an opportunity will arise that will naturally allow for some communication. Look for those opportunities and then explain a little of how you feel and that what you are experiencing is actually a disease. Just plant the seed and don't push it. It may be that your father loves you and feels guilty and helpless because he doesn't know how to help you.
I do hope you are seeing a professional. I think you need help to cope with your depression. Keep posting here and let us know how you are doing.