Claim: Depression isn't real

Question

An ex-Big Brother star, Andrew Tate claims that "people defend depression. They get angry when I say this because they need this bull**** to justify their own failures. By admitting I'm right, they need to work hard to make themselves happy. To avoid the work, they argue with me and pretend depression is a thing."

Answer 1

The claim that depression isn't real is false. After reading the article, I found out that the man that made the claim, Andrew Tate, is a TV personal. He had been on the show Big Brother, but was kicked off due to his claims that "depression isn't real". Andrew Tate does not obtain a a degree in the field of psychology. He cannot make statements regarding mental health with no knowledge in the field. Additionally, the American Psychology Association discusses an in depth summary of depression. The APA is the scientific organization in psychology. They inform psychologists on the latest studies and advances in the field. The article states that "Depression is a real illness and carries with it a high cost in terms of relationship problems, family suffering and lost work productivity." Depression is a real illness. To say that this illness is made up is very invalidating to the millions of people that have depression. 

https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/big-brothers-andrew-tate-sparks-11133888

https://www.apa.org/topics/depression/recover

Comments

Nice work providing some background on Tate and the incident that happened on the reality show.

Answer 2

This article mentioned a series of tweets made in 2017 that I couldn't find. But here is a video of him doing an interview with Piers Morgan in which he states, "I don't believe depression as a clinical disease is real."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U8FQ5VEb58&t=1s

Andrew Tate is a former Big Brother contestant, social media influencer, and former kickboxer, so he is not qualified to make any factual statements about depression.

According to the American Psychiatry Association, depression is "a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act." Many risk factors include biochemistry, genetics, personality, and environmental problems. 

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression

Comments

Nice write up and source. Don't forget to add a rating to your fact-checks going forward (true, false, misleading, opinion, etc.).

Answer 3

This claim is false.

Depression, or major depressive disorder, is a mood disorder that can be caused by biological differences, a chemical imbalance of the brain, or inherited traits, among others. It is classified as a "persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest". Depression affects an estimated 1 in 15 adults in the United States. Depression is different from sadness or grief -- it is a medical illness. Symptoms can include loss of energy, weight loss, irritability suicidal thoughts, sleep disturbances, etc.

Therefore, individuals struggling with depression are not claiming they are depressed to "justify their failures" or avoid work. It is a disorder that requires treatment.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20356007

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression

Answer 4

This claim is false. Without diving into the severe criminal charges and overall lack of credentials Andrew Tate possesses, far more reputable sources acknowledge depression as a very real mood disorder. Clinical psychologist Mayo Clinic, Craig Sawchuk, Ph.D., L.P., explains that, "Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes you may feel as if life isn't worth living."

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20356007 

Answer 5

This claim is false. Depression and mental health are a real thing. According to the American Psychiatry Association, "Depression is a common serious mental disorder that negatively affects how you feel, think, act, and perceive the world." Coming from someone who has seen depression in other people I find this claim very disheartening. The claim is very untrue and Andrew Tate has no credibility for claiming that depression isn't real. The APA, also states "Nearly three in ten adults (29%) have been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives and about 18% are currently experiencing depression." So with obvious evidence from multiple credible sources people do experience depression and it is in fact real. 

Answer 6

Depression is a mental health condition that consists of low mood, interest lost and other symptoms that change how you live you day to day life. People like Andrew Tate say depression isn’t real because of the fact that he thinks people are making an excuse for things that they did poorly which can be true in some cases but realistically thats a very small percentage of people. Depression isn’t just feeling sad or having a bad day, it is a medical condition with biological components. Unfortunately its not as easy as "if you’re  sad just be happy and stop making excuses." People need real help from professionals  because it is a real illness.

Source- https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression

https://www.thersa.org/events/2018/1/uncovering-the-real-causes-of-depression?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA2JG9BhAuEiwAH_zf3rm2MvMt2sdk5r5JpY29SUzV1MJDt9VNmnNa9vKuNyQomrycl5QyahoC0_MQAvD_BwE

Answer 7

False. Although, it depends on your definition of 'real'. Depression is an acknowledged mental condition and can actually be measured, with real symptoms. To explain the difference between sadness and depression, the American Psychiatric Association uses an analogy of losing a loved one. For example, they state that even in grief, self-esteem usually doesn't waver, unless in cases of depression. In that case, one can feel extreme senses of worthlessness and will be harsher on themselves. Another good example they use is feelings of death that may come up after losing a loved one. This isn't necessarily an indicator of depression because at its focus is another person, but if it develops into a feeling of not deserving life and thinking more about how to end ones life, then that is a telltale indicator. According to the World Health Organization, depression differs in regular sadness because it drastically affects all aspects of life. It causes disinterest in activities, even ones that were enjoyed before. It can also affect weight and appetite as persons with depression have difficulty in taking care of themselves. The Cleveland Clinic provides an outline to how depression is diagnosed. There must be specific conditions met, like any other medical conditions.

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression#:~:text=Depression%20is%20a%20real%20illness,and%20request%20a%20thorough%20evaluation.

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24481-clinical-depression-major-depressive-disorder