Hi Andrea. I've added a trigger warning as you mention self harming and suicide. It's nothing to worry about, it's just so people can avoid your thread if it would trigger them.

Can I ask if you were honest with your GP? As it surprises me that frequent suicidal thoughts and self harm was classed as moderate and not severe...

Depression isn't just sadness, sometimes it's anger, sometimes it's despair, sometimes it can be feeling nothing at all. Everyone is different. Also, depression doesn't have to have a reason, sometimes it just happens. You can also have good days, it doesn't mean you're not ill, it's just a good day. Some people can still function pretty well in day to day life with depression too; I can't but my partner can.

I'm not sure how to tackle the view your parents have as it sounds like a cultural view. Maybe try and find some accounts from African/people of African descent who also suffer from mental illness? I'm not sure.

You asked for our stories? Briefly, I first got ill when I was at uni but didn't realise. I barely scraped a 2:2. I didn't manage to get onto the teaching course I wanted to do and ended up working as a cleaner for 10 years. I could function at first but it got harder and harder. I ended up in an abusive relationship and started self harming and having frequent suicidal thoughts. That didn't get any better when I left my ex and I ended up having to see a specialist nurse in the secondary mental health service. It turns out that I have severe treatment-resistant depression and severe anxiety and they started me on new meds that aren't perfect, but they let me live a life. I'm now back at uni doing a psychology degree, about to start training to be a counsellor and learning how to drive. A year ago I was barely managing with uni.

There is a way through if you can get the right treatment.