TW: Depression; Suicide
In 2017, former professional kickboxer and social media personality Andrew Tate posted a series of tweets that made thousands of people angry.
In the first tweet of a 13-part thread, Tate stated that:
“Depression isn’t real. You feel sad, you move on. You will always be depressed if your life is depressing. Change it. Thread.”
We would embed all the tweets here, but our friend Cobratate has been banned from Twitter indefinitely. Go figure.
Tate made these brash comments about depression in September 2017, shortly before World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD). The annual event, which occurs on September 10, is meant to bring awareness to the issue of suicide and how to prevent it.
Tate’s tweets about depression caused an uproar on social media, with many people accusing him of being insensitive and ignorant. In response, Tate continued to blast his opinions to his thousands of followers.
Let’s take a look at the facts so you can understand why Tate’s comments were so harmful:
What is depression?
Depression is a mental illness that can cause a range of symptoms, including feelings of sadness, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and more.
Depression can be triggered by a life event or experience, such as the death of a loved one, financial problems, or relationship difficulties. For some people, it may seem like there is no reason for their depression.
Depression is different from sadness, which is a normal emotion that everyone experiences at times. Depression lasts longer than sadness and can interfere with a person’s ability to function in their daily life.
How common is depression?
Depression is one of the most common mental disorders, affecting approximately 280 million people worldwide.
In the U.S, 21 million adults have suffered from depression at some point in their lives. That’s 8.4{c8122336fa184b41b825475f39221c7fa2e59423b242708028c1f2502555c53f} of all U.S. adults.
Depression is more common in women than men, and its prevalence decreases with age.
What are the consequences of untreated depression?
Depression can lead to many serious problems, including:
- Difficulty functioning at work, school, or home
- Relationship problems
- Substance abuse
- Self-harm or thoughts of suicide
Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and untreated depression is the main cause of suicide. Suicide is a leading cause of death in the U.S., and on average one person dies from suicide every 11 minutes.
So, why does Andrew Tate believe depression is fake?
It’s difficult to say why Tate believes depression is fake. He may not be familiar with the definition of depression or the research on the subject.
He may believe that people who are depressed are simply weak or lazy, or he may think that depression is something people can just “snap out of.”
Whatever the reason, Tate’s tweets about depression are harmful and misinformed. Depression is a real mental illness that can have serious consequences if left untreated.
By dismissing depression as fake or imaginary, Tate is contributing to the stigma that surrounds mental illness and making it harder for people suffering from depression to get the help they need.
8 subsequent tweets from the infamous depression thread
Here’s our take on Andrew Tate’s most jarring tweets about depression:
Everrrrryones depressed nowadays tweeting me “im depressed and I think” wow. It must suck to lose at life that hard. Boohoo
— Andrew Tate (@Cobratate) September 9, 2017
“I’m depressed and I think” likely refers to the common symptoms of depression, which include persistent feelings of sadness and despair.
Tate is suggesting that people who are depressed are losers who have failed at life. This is an incredibly insensitive and damaging view of depression.
However, this isn’t a shocking assertion coming from Andrew Tate. He is a self-proclaimed “toxically masculine” human being, and compassion isn’t necessarily one of his strengths.
Since my post I’ve had tons of previously and currently depressed people telling me I’m 100{c8122336fa184b41b825475f39221c7fa2e59423b242708028c1f2502555c53f} correct. 💪🏼
— Andrew Tate (@Cobratate) September 8, 2017
This tweet contradicts itself. Tate claims that “currently depressed” people are telling him that he’s correct, but if Tate’s views on depression are accurate, then these people would not be depressed anymore. This just goes to show how little Tate understands about the mental illness.
The way depression is so violently defended is strange. So desperate to be unhappy and have an excuse to not change it. Very odd 🤔
— Andrew Tate (@Cobratate) September 8, 2017
Depression is not a choice, and it’s not something that people want to experience. Tate is once again victim-blaming and shaming people with depression, which is not helpful or productive.
There are very few fat lonely man, aged 60. With no money or family or hobbys. Who arnt depressed. – this is not a clinical disease.
— Andrew Tate (@Cobratate) September 7, 2017
This tweet is ableist, sexist, and ageist all at the same time. Tate is suggesting that if you are fat, lonely, and old, then you must be depressed.
Once again, Tate is perpetuating the harmful myth that depression is not a real medical condition.
So people defend depression. They get angry when I say this. Because they need this bullsh*t to justify their own failures.
— Andrew Tate (@Cobratate) September 7, 2017
In this tweet, Tate is gaslighting people with depression and suggesting that their illness is not real. This is incredibly harmful and can lead to people doubting their own experiences and not seeking treatment.
Tate is also suggesting that people with depression are using their illness as an excuse for their own failures. This is inaccurate because depression can affect anyone, regardless of their success or lack thereof.
Research has shown that highly successful people are prone to depression. Kate Spade, Robin Williams, Chris Cornell, and Avicii were all famous, wealthy, and successful.
However, they all battled depression for years and eventually committed suicide. This just goes to show that depression does not discriminate and it can affect anyone, no matter how successful they are.
It is a circumstance which they must change. Most “depressed” people are unhappy with their lives, too lazy to change it. That simple.
— Andrew Tate (@Cobratate) September 7, 2017
Depression and laziness are not synonymous. Lack of motivation is a symptom of depression, but it is not a cause. People with depression can’t just stop being lazy and instantly cure their illnesses.
Depression is over prescribed by 10,000{c8122336fa184b41b825475f39221c7fa2e59423b242708028c1f2502555c53f}. Weakness is celebrated. Personal responsibility is absolved. That’s the reality.
— Andrew Tate (@Cobratate) September 8, 2017
By “over prescribed,” Tate is likely referring to the diagnosis of depression by a psychiatrist. However, it’s important to remember that mental illness is not always black and white.
Just because someone does not meet the criteria for a clinical diagnosis of depression does not mean that they are not experiencing symptoms of depression.
Tate also insinuates that people with depression lack “personal responsibility” and are weak. This is simply not true. Mental illness is not a choice, and it takes a great deal of strength to battle depression on a daily basis.
Big pharma supports the depression lie. You can’t fix it yourself, tate is crazy, it can only be cured with meds. Keep popping the pills.
— Andrew Tate (@Cobratate) September 10, 2017
Out of all the depression tweets Cobratate hit “Publish” on, this one might take the cake. He accuses “Big Pharma” of supporting the “depression lie.” Let’s decipher this one, shall we?
What is the “Big Pharma” Tate is describing?
Big Pharma refers to the pharmaceutical industry. The pharmaceutical industry is a multi-billion dollar industry that manufactures and sells drugs.
The phrase “Big Pharma” is slightly derogatory because it implies that pharmaceutical companies are greedy and care about money more than the health of our population. We could debate that topic all day, but that’s not the point.
The point is that Tate is saying that the entire pharmaceutical industry is lying to us about depression. He’s suggesting that depression is not a real mental illness.
When he says, “keep popping the pills,” Tate is sarcastically encouraging people to continue taking their antidepressants and buying into the alleged Big Pharma lies. The way Tate phrased his tweet reminds us of the red pill vs. blue pill scene in The Matrix.
Andrew Tate views himself as being a “red pill” kind of guy, but is he actually just delusional? We’ll let you decide for yourself.
The best responses to Andrew Tate’s tweets about depression
We couldn’t let you click away without reading a few of the most compelling and downright awesome responses to Tate’s depression thread.
Hi, I’m a reporter with NotARealNews Channel. May I use your thread for a story we’re doing on human garbage?
— Michael Timms (@Michael_E_Timms) September 7, 2017
Mental illness is very real,It’s uneducated people like you that stop people asking for help. Keep your opinions to your self @Cobratate
— James Wade (@JamesWade180) September 8, 2017
This thread will teach you a lot about the defence mechanism of projection, but zero about the real mental illness that is depression.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 8, 2017
If you are in crisis or feeling suicidal, we recommend you get in touch with a crisis hotline, your doctor, therapist, or a hospital immediately.
