This campaign is NOT about "outing" anyone. It's not about whether the people in the pictures have/had/never had depression, it's about stepping up and saying: "We HAVE to talk about this." Depression seems like a scary word to many of us. That's because the way people with depression are perceived by the public has nothing to do with the nature of the illness. Depression does not mean you are weak, lazy or just in need of a good vacation. It's an illness - a horrible, but very treatable one.
1 in 5 germans will suffer a major depressive episode at some time during their lifetime, it is the leading cause of disability worldwide. And yet - in so many countries, there is no awareness whatsoever. We have to change it - because stigmatizing people with depression is costing us all way too much. This photo campaign shows and reminds all of us that you can't tell somebody is suffering from depression just by looking at them. The cheery girl sitting next to you in class could suffer from it, or the nice guy behind the supermarket counter. It's not just crying people, holding their heads in their hands. No, people with depression become experts at hiding their disease. And as Matt Haig put it so beautifully - "You can be a depressive and happy, just ike you can be an alcoholic and sober." If you'd like to participate in the photo campaign, please send us a message and we'll sort out the details! This initiative is founded by a G(irls)20 ambassador.
