To not understand why they think I’ve got depression

[User50000]

I’ve recently gone on sick leave. I used the idiom “I’ve hit a bit of wall” to describe why I was off. Without going into detail. A colleague has now messaged me saying she has also had depression and is here if I want to talk. I’m unsure why the phrase I used lead them to believe I was depressed? It wouldn’t be my first thought if someone had said this to me.

I am intrigued as to what your first thought would have been? I would have certainly assumed a MH problem.

Your colleagues were looking out for you and trying to sympathise.

Whether you have depression or drove into a wall.

You're lucky to work with such nice people.
Why question it?

I would also assume you meant depression/anxiety or similar related mental health condition. Usually accompanied by feeling burnt out and exhausted.

I would have assumed the same to be honest. I’ve never heard that expression used to describe a physical health condition?

"hit the wall" implies burnout / stress / breakdown, so yes I think your colleague was reasonable in her message.

What did YOU mean by it?

I’d assume depression as well. Why are you off?

Your colleague made a perfectly reasonable assumption. What’s the problem?

I would assume you've been under extreme stress and pressure and that somethings had to give. So you're off work

I’d assume some sort of mental health crisis from that phrase.

I suppose you might have got injured literally driving into a real physical wall, but that guess would come below mental health crisis.

I would have thought the same thing too. It was nice of her to disclose that to you.

Did you actually hit an actual wall and injure yourself?

If not, what did you think people would think?

I'm not being smart, I'm just genuinely interested. Sometimes I honestly think people can't do right for doing wrong!

I would think the same too.

So what did you mean OP?

Looks like most people would assume that you have some sort of mental health issue.

If that is wrong, you need to go back and clarify.

As above...

I'd assume you were burned out. I think most people would. What would you think if someone told you they had hit a bit of a wall?
But try not to focus on the wording. Look instead at the kindness they have shown. I hope you feel better soon (whatever your reasons for being off).

Yes sorry op I would also think it was something to do with MH issues

I've been trying to think when I wouldn't assume it meant burnout eg if I knew someone had a long-term medical condition for which they had been seeking treatment then I might think 'I've hit a bit of a wall' meant they had finished one treatment and were seeking another. But that's the only time I'd reach a different conclusion about what the statement meant.

Gosh, you're lucky that someone in your work place cares enough to contact you..

That definitely sounds as like a euphemism for stress or depression.

OP’s obviously ran into another wall...

You've gone on SICK leave. Because apparently that is when people are off because they are SICK - this is either in mind, or body. If you've literally hit a wall, that's body. If you've taken sick leave for other reasons, of course people will assume you've got depression.

Well you don't just get signed off work by a GP because you're just a bit fed up of work do you? They sign you off with stress/depression/anxiety so it's a perfectly normal assumption to make.

I would assume depression as well. If you're not physically ill (which I assume is the case unless you've hit a literal wall), your colleagues will think it's depression. That particular colleague was trying to be supportive.

Burnout isn’t the same as being depressed though.....