节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2014-01-11
难易度:Medium
关键字:persist, miserable, needy, estimate, pastor
Today we are continuing the article Depression Part 1: Naming the Darkness.
And we have learned a lot about how to identify depression.
It's important to be able to tell the difference between being depressed and
just being sad.
One major difference is how long the feeling lasts.
Another is being able to determine why someone is sad.
If the feelings last for a long time, and it seems like there isn't a reason for
the dark feelings, it might be depression.
It is also important to talk to people who are trustworthy about these types of
negative feelings and get help.
Let's continue with the next part of the reading and find out what else we can
do.
Then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab to learn some important words.
Depression Part 1: Naming the Darkness.
When I was depressed, I was embarrassed to tell anyone.
I didn't want to seem weak or needy.
But when I told my friends, they supported and encouraged me.
I have since realized that there's nothing wrong with admitting that you're
depressed.
It's a common problem.
In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that depression affects
350 million people worldwide.
But treatments are available and can bring hope and joy back into your life.
OK.
(Chinese).
And now it's time to go to our program.
Thanks so much, Michelle.
Well, this section of the reading makes an important point about depression.
Many people who suffer from depression don't want to tell other people how they
feel because they think it's embarrassing.
And that is true, or also because they are afraid that people will think they
are weak or needy.
And that's not true.
The author's friends don't think she seemed weak.
They wanted to support and encourage her.
That's right.
And there is a good little word to talk about here: to seem.
If something seems, that means it appears to be a certain way even though it may
not be true.
For example, she seemed to always be busy in class, but she was actually playing
games on her computer.
Or, he wanted to seem strong so he tried to lift weights that were too heavy for
him.
Those are great examples.
And the author of the article didn't want to seem weak or needy even though she
was neither of those things.
Fortunately, she realized that her friends actually wanted to support her and
encourage her.
There was nothing wrong with admitting that she was depressed, so she didn't
need to be embarrassed.
In fact, it was very helpful for her because that meant that she was no longer
facing this challenge alone.
That's right.
In the article, we also learned that depression is a very common problem.
The World Health Organization, or the WHO, estimates that over 350 million
people suffer from depression worldwide.
That's a lot of people, and they are all experiencing the same type of negative
emotions.
But there is hope.
There are many different treatments available for this mental illness.
And that's a good point.
You see, by getting help, people can bring hope and joy back into their lives.
I think that is the most important part of this lesson: helping people to
overcome depression and return to lives filled with joy.
I agree, Gabe. It is really important to have joy in your life and to enjoy
doing lots of different things.
And do you know what might help bring joy into our lives today, Gabe?
Uh, what is that, Carolyn?
What might help bring joy into our lives?
A review skit.
Review skits! I love review skits.
And after the review skit, what's going to happen?
Well, after our review skit, we are going to have a wonderful feature, the
Editor's Summary, with our Studio Classroom editor Linda.
So we have a lot to do.
Well, let's get going.
Dad, I need some help.
Having trouble with your homework again?
No. It's more serious than that.
Really?
What is it?
Dad, I'm depressed.
Depressed?! Why? What happened?
I don't know! But one day darkness began filling my mind.
Darkness? Oh, no!
Oh, yes.
Sometimes I stare out the window. I think about my failures.
I even wonder if it's worthwhile being alive.
Oh! That is darkness.
Yeah. But it's not a constant darkness.
Sometimes it fades.
Well, that's a relief.
Yeah. But it always returns.
Well, maybe it is depression.
Yeah. It drains my energy.
It prevents me from enjoying life.
Nothing bad happened, but I feel miserable.
Yes, those signs identify as depression.
So Dad, what can I do?
Don't face depression alone.
Find someone and share your feelings.
Yeah, Dad, that's why I'm talking to you.
Right!
And that's good.
Yeah, but I'm kind of embarrassed.
I don't want to seem weak or needy.
No... Don't worry.
I want to support and encourage you.
So there's nothing wrong with admitting I'm depressed?
No, no. It's a common problem, and treatment is available that you can bring
hope and joy back into your life.
Well... Wow! Thanks, Dad.
I feel better now.
Good.
So, now can you help me with my homework?
How do you know if you're just depressed or just sad?
How long have your feelings lasted?
And why do you feel miserable?
These are a couple of guidelines to help you decide your state of being.
Find someone to share your feelings with.
And remember, you aren't alone.
It is estimated that 350 million people from all over the world suffer from
depression.
But, help is available.
Well, thank you so much, Linda.
Now the past two days we've been dealing with depression.
Well, we haven't actually been dealing with it, but we... we've been talking
about it.
We've been discussing this problem.
That's right.
And there's a difference between talking about something and actually dealing
with it.
Yeah. What's the difference?
Well, if you deal with it, that means that you have to work through it.
So we are not suffering from depression, we're having a great time.
And we have learned a lot, Gabe.
Well, that's right.
Now what would you do if you found one of your friends had depression?
Carolyn, what do you think about this?
Well, I would probably try to talk to them and encourage them to spend more time
doing fun things.
Maybe I could invite them out to spend more time with me; we could go to dinner.
I think that's a great idea - doing fun things together, getting them away from
just being by themselves.
It might not be easy, though, since depression prevents people from enjoying
life and the fun activities that they used to like.
And they just see you having a lot of fun... it's not an easy thing to always
help someone with depression.
Well, that is true.
And in that case, I would try to talk to them about what they were feeling.
And if they didn't want to talk to me or if it seemed really serious,
I would recommend them to a doctor that specializes in treating depression or
some kind of counselor so they could get professional help.
And I think that's something that many of us uh... sometimes don't think about.
It is good to have professional help in certain situations.
It's a good idea.
Now don't take all of the responsibility of helping someone suffering from this
illness by yourself.
If it seems serious, please seek professional help.
And that is really great advice.
Now as we learned yesterday, remember to stay happy, healthy and enjoy the life
you've been blessed with.
And we will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom.
See you then.