Depression is recognised as a serious illness. It is not the same as feeling miserable or unhappy for short periods of time. If you are clinically depressed, deep feelings of despair and bleakness don’t go away quickly, lasting for more than two weeks at a time and interfering with everyday life. Many sufferers report that they can’t sleep, can’t concentrate, and have no energy. Some feel permanently irritable and very down, which can ultimately lead to thoughts about self-harm and suicide. The mistaken belief is that the terrible way you feel at that moment will never change. However, depression is a highly treatable disease, in spite of the fact that different people experience different symptoms in varying intensities.
Depression and anxiety are the most common forms of mental health disorder in Britain, with around one in ten adults (or 10% of the population) suffering at any one time.1 Studies also show that women are twice as likely to suffer from depression as men, one in four as opposed to one in ten of the population.2 The reasons for this are not clear, although it’s thought that women are much more likely to seek help, and in turn are more likely to be diagnosed and treated. Moreover, it’s argued that men tend to express the symptoms of depression differently, more outwardly, perhaps through the use of alcohol or drugs, and are less likely to admit to having a problem. Consequently depressed men are more likely to commit suicide than depressed women.
It’s a strange fact that most people who have depression never seek help, even though research indicates that treatment can greatly benefit the vast majority of sufferers. Getting treatment for depression is very important, as this debilitating illness not only affects everyday life and your ability to function (both at work and socially) but it can have a profound affect on families, friends and colleagues.
Depression is not limited by age, with 2% of teenagers3 and 20% of people aged 65 – 694 suffering from the disease in the UK. And unfortunately if you’ve had one episode of clinical depression you’re very likely to experience another. However this can enable you to recognise the symptoms as they come on perhaps several weeks before, giving you some advance warning and time to set up suitable treatment. Recognising early triggers and signs of depression can help you and your doctor work together to prevent the disease from getting any worse.
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Last Updated 07/05/2009 14:31:42
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