Suicide Prevention Campaign by the Ministry of Health and Welfare
Addressing Everyday "Prejudice" and Other Issues
"My wife, who had always been more diligent than anyone, took a leave of absence and began her fight against depression."
The short drama on overcoming depression produced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare has received an enthusiastic response, surpassing 6.4 million views in about one month. It is known to have been inspired by writer Choi Uijong's book "Studying Depression for Someone Precious," and it portrays the process of a husband studying and making efforts for his wife with depression, and how they overcome it.
Short drama 'My Wife Has Depression ? Full Episode' produced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Screenshot from the Ministry of Health and Welfare's YouTube channel.
The video opens with an ordinary married couple having a meal at home. The narration then explains that the wife suddenly developed depression and eventually took a leave of absence from work. Even when the husband grows plants for her or cooks delicious food, none of it really helps his wife.
The camera then shows a house in disarray because it has not been tidied up, and flowerpots that have withered from lack of water, indicating that the wife's depression is not improving. The husband feels even more distressed at the thought that they may never return to how things used to be, and the wife also struggles to endure by taking her medication, but nothing changes.
"Depression is just a matter of willpower"
A phone call between the husband, who has just come home from work while his wife is asleep, and his mother reveals prejudices against people with depression. His mother says, "Depression is just a matter of willpower. If you just live your life without overthinking it, feeling depressed from time to time is no problem at all."
The husband replies, "Mom, depression is not like that. She is getting proper treatment, and in her own way she is hanging in there and working through it."
Short drama "My Wife Is Depressed" (full episode), produced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Screenshot from the Ministry of Health and Welfare's YouTube.
Everyday prejudice is also revealed in a scene where the husband's coworker talks to the wife. The coworker says, "Management calls it depression, but from what I see it's just stress, burnout, something like that. Who isn't having a hard time these days?" and then adds, "If you look at it that way, he and I are depressed too."
"Say anything to me"
The husband, who had been swallowing his pain because of his wife's depression, and the wife, who had been pretending to be fine, begin to change as they start talking to each other.
The husband makes tomato juice for his wife, calls her, and they start a conversation while sitting on a bench in front of their house. The wife says, "When I think about it, I guess the people around me are right. When I start to struggle, the person next to me ends up struggling too."
The husband then confides, "You're right, to be honest I have been having a hard time. Work has been hectic, and it feels like I'm preparing the move all by myself. But the hardest part was that I wanted to know what exactly was so hard for you, and not being able to hear that from you was what hurt the most."
Short drama 'My Wife Has Depression' produced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Main episode. Screenshot from the Ministry of Health and Welfare's YouTube.
The wife also says, "I wanted to talk too. But I was scared that if I said anything, it would be a burden to you. I was blaming myself so much that it terrified me," and the husband explains, "I was scared too. Even though I kept saying everything was okay, it felt so fake that I didn't know what I was supposed to do."
The couple then lean on each other as they talk: "It feels good to let it all out," "Say anything you want to me," and "It's okay to say little things like 'I don't want to get out of bed' or 'I feel too lazy to brush my teeth.'"
"Now I know what to do when a family member has depression"... explosive response from netizens
The video has drawn a huge response from netizens, with more than 1,400 comments posted. The dominant reactions included, "This is a video that anyone with a person with depression around them must watch," and "It feels like a message telling us to become that kind of husband, wife, or family member for someone with depression."
A poster for the "Suicide Prevention Hotline 109" that appears midway through the video also stands out. Anyone who has worries that are hard to talk about, such as feeling depressed, or who has a family member or acquaintance going through such difficulties, can receive 24-hour counseling from experts through the Suicide Prevention Hotline 109 or via SNS counseling service Madlen.
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