DEPRESSION
Depression is a genuine mental health disorder
What is depression?
Depression is a mood disorder characterised by low mood and a wide range of other possible symptoms, which will vary from person to person. An illness that can develop quickly or gradually, and be brought on by life events and/or changes in body chemistry.
Charcteristics include:
WHO DOES IT AFFECT?
Depression can affect anyone although it is more common in women than men. There are over 350 million people of all ages globally.
IT ISN'T JUST MENTAL
Many people think depression is mental and not physical. Depression affects people all different kinds of ways both mentally and physically. The feeling of fatigue, loss of appetite, migraines etc. are all symptoms of depression.
Diagnosis & Treatment
Although very common, depression is often ignored or misdiagnosed and left untreated. Such inattention can be life-threatening; major depression, in particular has a high suicide rate.
Depression at first is most always treated with SSRI's (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) the group includes drugs such as Paxil, Prozac, Celexa, Lexapri, Zoloft and Brintelilix. Medication can take up to 2-6 weeks to see any effects.