The Truth About Depression: Ending Stigma and Shame Around Mental Health

In this episode of Giving Voice to Depression, mental health advocate Victor Armstrong takes on the harmful myth that depression is a sign of weakness. He explains how stigma — in families, communities, and churches — adds unnecessary shame and prevents people from getting help.

Victor shares his lived experience growing up in the rural South, where mental illness wasn’t openly discussed, and reflects on how cultural and systemic stigma still shape the way we talk about depression today. He also highlights the hidden strength of people who live with depression or suicidal thoughts — noting that survival itself is an act of courage.

The episode also features an excerpt from Lauren Brady’s piece, “The Strength in Depression,” which powerfully reframes depression not as weakness, but as resilience.

This is an important conversation for anyone who has ever felt shame because of their mental health — and for allies who want to better understand and fight stigma.

Primary Topics Covered:

• Why depression is misunderstood as “weakness”
• How stigma in communities and churches impacts mental health
• Depression as resilience, not moral failure
• The pandemic’s role in increasing awareness — and challenges
• Reading from “The Strength in Depression” by Lauren Brady
• Why compassion and understanding are more powerful than judgment

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction to guest Victor Armstrong
 01:08 – How social media led to this important conversation
 02:14 – Victor’s message: “You matter. You are not alone.”
03:23 – Seeing people for who they are, not their illness
04:28 – Why depression is not weakness
05:41 – How the pandemic impacted mental health stigma
07:37 – Why awareness must lead to action
08:54 – Growing up where mental health wasn’t discussed
09:57 – Why people with depression face discrimination
11:21 – How cultural stigma prevents open conversations
13:03 – Lauren Brady’s essay “The Strength in Depression”
16:25 – Closing reflections: strength in survival

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