Depression: Would you admit to it?

Today I'm going to cover the sensitive subject of depression. Why do we have such problems talking about something that affect so many people.

New research that has been carried out by Turning point shows that around 75% of people will suffer from depression in the UK at some stage in their lifetime. Of these only a 1/3 of them seek professional medical help. With another 1/3 turning to other resources or means of help. That leaves at today's population 15,250,000 people that will suffer from depression at some stage in their life and suffer in silence.

Now maybe you have been one of this 75% already or maybe sometime in the future you might be. Have you or would you seek help?

Is there enough done to raise the awareness of Depression and other mental health problems that cost the country billions a year? But more importantly the cost to the people who suffer is much greater?

Most reports that are done highlight how these illnesses affect the economy etc. But how often do the reports in the news focus on the human cost of them and how it affects the individual?

The effectiveness of treatments for depression vary depending on who you talk to. Some believe that it can be treated with anti depressants while other believe Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is the best option. These are the ones that are mostly recommended by doctors due to them having their hands tied by both cost and time restraints.

31 million prescriptions for anti depressants are made up every year. Can they really be the best way forward....

While they may work for some people they won't for everyone. Are anti depressants just a short term stop gap. When will the NHS offer more services for the long term treatment for depression and start devoting more time to helping those who suffer. So much is done to raise the awareness of the health risks of smoking and helping people give up smoking why is more not done to help protect peoples mental health.

A good article on depression was recently done for the Guardian by Luiza Sauma

I will be covering more on depression in the following weeks as its a subject that i feel strongly about.