Depression: Let's talk

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A live exhibition to talk about depression

This page talks about depression and suicide.

Some of those who experience depression end up at a point where they see no choice but to take their own lives. The once left behind may feel that this was a selfish choice, but forget to think about how the person who is gone felt to end up making that choice. This was a point we wanted to address through this exhibition. We wanted people to start talking to each other about how they feel and make them understand how depression can affect a person.

Text to introduce the exhibition

The "blocks" has text on their back and screens on the inside. The text explains depression and gives insight into the exhibition. The inside are screens with people who are left behind and them telling their stories, but also showing the once that are gone and telling their stories.

Text in norwegian:

Depresjon er en vanlig psykisk helseplage. Mellom 6 og 12 prosent har depresjon til enhver tid mens 20 til 30 prosent av oss vil en eller flere ganger i livet oppleve å ha depresjon. Depresjon gir både kroppslige og psykiske symptomer. Det er en sykdom og ikke bare en følelse av å være trist.

Alle kan bli rammet og det kan føre til nedstemthet, tiltaksløshet, fortvilelse, redsel, sinne og selvmordstanker, men det går an å komme ut av depresjon, og du kan også lære å forebygge. Behandling av depresjon innebærer å behandle den aktuelle depresjonen, men også tiltak for å forhindre senere episoder.

Noen ganger går det så langt som at personen som lider av depresjon tar sitt eget liv. Dette er det mange som føler er et egoistisk valg. De tenker på de som er etterlatt og hvordan de har det, men glemmer til tider å tenke på hvordan de som ønsker å ta sitt eget liv har det. Selvmord burde ikke være løsningen, men noen ganger føles det som den eneste utveien. Man har ikke nødvendigvis et ønske om å dø, men man har ikke krefter nok til å leve lenger.

Text in english:

Depression is a common mental health problem. Between 6 and 12 percent have depression at any given time while 20 to 30 percent of us will experience depression at one or more times in our lives. Depression causes both physical and mental symptoms. It's a disease and not just a feeling of being sad.

Everyone can be affected and it can lead to depression, inaction, despair, fear, anger and suicidal thoughts, but it is possible to get out of depression, and you can also learn to prevent it. Treatment of depression involves treating the current depression, but also measures to prevent later episodes.

Sometimes it goes so far that the person suffering from depression takes their own life. Many look at this as a selfish choice. They think about those who are left behind and how they feel, but sometimes forget to think about how those who want to take their own lives feel. Suicide should not be the solution, but sometimes it feels like the only way out. You do not necessarily have a desire to die, but you do not have enough strength to live longer.

The domes hanging over are speakers. They were meant to function in a way so you would only hear the sound when standing under them. Each screen would show a person and talk to you as if you were the one with depression. You would see how they acted and thought about you and your mental health.