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