节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2014-01-10
难易度:Medium
关键字:worthwhile, identify, mental illness, fatigue, darkness, worthless,
symptom
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom.
My name is Gabe.
And I'm Carolyn.
Today we'll be discussing a very serious topic that many people face.
In fact, one out of every 10 Americans suffers from this.
It is serious, and sometimes it is difficult to identify, especially because
it's not something people are willing to talk about.
We are, of course, talking about depression.
Today's lesson is entitled Depression Part 1: Naming the Darkness.
That's right.
So today we will be discussing what depression is and how you can recognize it.
With so many people feeling lost, it is good to be able to identify this illness
and get help.
So let's get started with today's reading.
Then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab.
Depression Part 1: Naming the Darkness.
How to recognize this hidden threat.
When I was in junior high school, darkness began filling my mind.
I don't know the day or the reason why it began.
All I know is that I started feeling hopeless and worthless.
I hid in my room, staring out the window, thinking about all my failures.
I even questioned whether being alive was worthwhile.
My dark mood wasn't constant.
It would fade at times, but it always returned.
After hesitating for years, I finally told my parents what I was feeling.
They helped me identify the shadow that hung over my life - depression.
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle.
(Chinese).
All throughout the article we see different words used to describe depression.
That's right. And that's because the author of the article didn't really know
what to call it.
She didn't know what it was and was unable to give it a name.
So instead, she found other words to try to describe it.
I think the words she uses in the article are very common but accurate words to
use when talking about depression.
First, she refers to it as the darkness.
She doesn't know what it is, but she knows that it is dark.
Right. Now this doesn't mean that it's actually dark outside.
It's not something that blocks out real light but something that blocks out
happiness.
So if there is darkness, a person may feel scared or helpless.
They don't know what to do and may be too afraid to do anything.
And that is exactly why depression is so serious.
It's difficult to get help for something when you already feel helpless or like
no one will understand or... or care.
Next, she calls it a hidden threat.
If you are facing a hidden threat, that means that you can't see something that
is trying to hurt you.
Many times we hear this when we talk about our health.
Diseases are hidden threats to our bodies.
Likewise, depression is also a hidden threat because you can't see it and it's
not always easy to identify.
She also describes her mood as being dark.
She has a dark mood.
That's right.
And if someone's mood is dark, that means that they are not having happy
thoughts.
This could also mean that they lack the desire to be happy or to do fun things.
It can be very difficult to overcome a dark mood.
Many times a person with a dark mood feels like no one cares about them, so they
don't want to talk to anyone about what they're feeling.
But it is important to talk to someone that you trust about this shadow.
That's right.
She also uses the word "shadow" to describe depression.
It's the same idea as before of blocking out the light or happiness.
Now perhaps the worst part about the author's situation is that she doesn't know
when or why it started.
She simply began to have this feeling of hopelessness and didn't know what was
worthwhile in her life.
She also says that this dark mood wasn't something she felt all the time, but it
would always return after a while.
So fortunately, she decided to talk to her parents about what she had been
feeling, and they were able to help her identify what she was feeling.
Depression.
And we still have a lot to learn about this illness in the next section of the
article when we comeback.