 |
| 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental illness. |
Depression is an illness, in the same way that diabetes or heart disease are illnesses. Depression is an illness that one in five people will suffer during their lifetime. Depression is an illness that affects the entire body, not just the mind. Depression is the leading cause of alcoholism, drug abuse and other addictions. Depression is an illness that can be successfully treated in more than eighty percent of the people who have it. Untreated depression is the number one cause of suicide. At least half of the people suffering from depression do not get proper treatment.
Depression is not something to be ashamed of. Depression is not a character flaw of the sign of a weak personality. Depression is not the same thing as feeling “blue” or “down." Depression is not a “mood” someone can “snap out of.” (Would you ask someone to “snap out of” diabetes or high blood pressure?)
Depression is a mental health condition that causes individuals to experience a decrease in mood, loss of interest in life, disturbed sleep, appetite changes, low energy and poor concentration. It's important to remember that depression is different from feeling down or sad. Low mood is something which everyone feels at one time or another. An individual suffering from depression will experience intense emotions of anxiety, hopelessness, negativity and helplessness, and the feelings stay with them instead of going away. Depression can happen to anyone, at any time. It's clear to see in the media that depression is affecting many famous people who seem to have everything going for them. Depression can affect people of every age. Living with depression is difficult for those who suffer from it and for their family, friends, and colleagues. It can be difficult to know if you are depressed and what you can do about it.
There are many signs and symptoms of depression, however every individual is different and will experience depression in various ways. However, the common side effects are:
- Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness
 |
| Credited by www.mind.org.uk |
- Sadness that doesn't go away
- Feeling anxious all the time
- Loss of self confidence and self esteem
- Difficulty concentrating
- Withdrawing from your family and friends
- Self harm
- Thinking about suicide and health
- Physical aches and pains
- Sleeping problems
- Very strong feelings of guilt.
If you experience four or more of these symptoms for most of the day - every day - for more than two weeks, you should seek help from your GP. You should always contact your GP if you're experiencing signs of depression, although I know this is often very difficult to do. There are many online websites that can support you through your difficult time.
MIND are a UK based charity that can provide support and information on all kinds of mental health difficulties. www.mind.org.uk
SANE are also a UK based charity who provide practical help to improve the quality of life for people affected by mental illness. http://www.sane.org.uk/
The Samaritans are there for you 24 hours a day. You do not need to be suicidal to ring them. They provide confidential emotional support for people who are experiencing feelings of distress, despair or suicidal thoughts. http://www.samaritans.org/ 08457 90 90 90 (UK) jo@samaritans.org
Depression can happen suddenly as a result of physical illness, experiences dating back to childhood, unemployment, bereavement, family problems or other life-changing events. Sometimes, there may be no clear reason for your depression but, whatever the original cause, identifying what may affect how you feel and the things that are likely to trigger depression is an important first step.
Credited by www.sane.org.uk
If you seek help from your GP, you will more than likely be referred for CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy). There are various forms of therapy and your GP will discuss with you the different options. You may also be put on an anti-depressant to help with your low mood. I think it's important to remember that medication only masks the symptoms and a combination of medication and therapy is the best approach to addressing depression. Anti-depressants do work for many people but inevitably they do have side effects. You can discuss these with your GP. If you are suffering with depression, there is nothing to be ashamed about. It saddens me greatly that there is still so much stigma surrounding mental illness and I hope my blog can help to raise awareness about mental illness and ultimately, help to reduce stigma.
How I would describe depression.
Depression is like a black hole, swallowing you and everything you love along with you. I felt like I was in a thick, dark fog and moving through that fog was exhausting. Everything with distorted and muddled - like when you were a child in your bed at night and you thought the tree branch outside your window was a monster. Like that. Everything hurt. Something lurked out there in the fog and whispered seductively, "just give up, I'm going to win in the end and you know it, just give up, it would be so easy and you won't hurt anymore, just give up and let go, it will be better when you're dead, just let go..." I felt inhuman, numb and half dead.
No comments:
Post a Comment