Depression

It is known that 1 in 10 people in Britain suffer from depression and it occurs more commonly in women. Depression is a serious illness but it is often overlooked and so it can go untreated for years.

Watching someone breakdown right in front of your eyes can be distressing. We often see it in celebrities such as Britney Spears and for some reason people revel in their pain. Almost a third of us will experience some form of depression in our lifetime. Whether it be mild or severe depression it is such a high number of people who are suffering and there doesn’t seem to be enough help available.

Because of the stigma attached to a mental illness, people are reluctant to go and seek help. And in cases where people do go to their GP for advice, they are simply given a prescription for some medication and sent on their way. I do not believe that medication can cure this disorder. It is given as a quick fix because most Doctors do not take the time to find other solutions and patients just end up becoming dependant on the pills.

The best help a person can be given is counselling. It can make all of the difference having someone to talk to and feeling like someone understands you. Medication can help alongside one to one counselling, but only to help you deal with the situation not to overcome it.

What is frustrating about getting a counsellor through your doctors surgery is that you are put on a waiting list for at least 4 months before you can see anyone. This can be a really crucial time if you are severely depressed and something needs to be done urgently. In a lot of cases people have been left disheartened after getting the courage to ask for help and then being left to cope by themselves that they don’t remain on the waiting lists.

And as I’ve said before, it is so much easier to be ill when you’re wealthy than it is when you’re poor. If you can afford a private therapist, they’ll no doubt see you the same day and as often as you need. Yet again, this is one of life’s many battles that just doesn’t seem fair.

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