Depression Is The Most Common Mental Illness

Filed under: Health

More than 1 in 6 people in the uk will experience depression in some form in their lives The exact figures are harder to come by as many people don’t look for professional medical assistance and deal with the signs and symptoms themselves. Depression is among the most common mental illnesses and it is the most stigmatised as well since it is often difficult for people to grasp what affected individuals are going through.

There a wide range of factors that cause depression and the specific causes will vary from case to case with some factors being much more easily identifiable than others. Amongst the more common causes for depression are serious health issues, death or loss and substance abuse. Some kinds of medication that are used to take care of high blood pressure levels can cause depression and there’s also a hereditary factor as depression can run in families.

There are a number of symptoms that those who are struggling with depression can experience. Some examples are feelings of overpowering sadness along with guilt, hopelessness and worthlessness. Individuals suffering from depression will frequently lose all interest in the things that they would usually take pleasure in and also have trouble focusing for any length of time. Being unable to get to sleep and having very low energy levels is an additional frequent characteristic of depression as are rapid shifts in weight either up or down.

The treatment of depression can be achieved in a number of ways dependant upon the individual case and a mix of treatment options is frequently the best answer. The most frequent method to deal with depression is with anti-depressants that are proscribed under medical supervision. These work by increasing the supply of neurotransmitters in the brain or by changing how sensitive the receptors in the brain are to chemical substances like serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. There’s a range of alternative treatments available that have been found to help and talking treatments such as psycho-therapy have a proven track record.

Although depression is one of the most common of mental illnesses it is also the most stigmatised. It can often be very difficult for co-workers and family members to comprehend that depression can’t be simply snapped out of. If you are suffering from depression or know someone who could be there’s lots of help open to you and there is no need to suffer alone.

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