Why is depression neglected as a medical condition in today's society?

Question

I recently overcame a battle with severe depression. The only reason I delayed treatment was because of the stigma attached to this disease. I honestly want to know why people need to suffer through this when in reality it is such a simple thing to solve. Same with homosexuals. I am not gay, but I can see what these people have to go through with such an ignorant society. My solution is that we become more accepting as people of one another and quit attaching such harsh stigmas to avoidable problems. Who else feels this way and has had similar experiences? Thank you for your answers and advice.

Answer 1

Most uneducated people think of depression as just the blues that everyone experiences here and there. Unless they have experienced the illness firsthand, they think that depression is simple laziness. Fortunately, education about depression and other mental illnesses has improved in the last 20 years. Commercials and print ads for antidepressants have helped raise awareness.

A lot more needs to be done to educate the public, because depression can kill, and often because those who do kill themselves are afraid to come forward for help, for fear of being shunned by friends, family, and employers.

Answer 2

Depression is not neglected. It's a mental condition, not a medical condition. There's no stigma as far as I can tell. The annual sales for antidepressants is outstanding and has been for years. The consumers range in age from 12 to 80. Depression isn't as simple as you seem to think. I'm happy you were able to overcome yours but there are different types of depression and some are more easily overcome than others and not people have the same internal resources to fall back on, nor do they have equal support systems. And not all problems are avoidable. As a health care provider, I may have a unique vantage point, I admit, so I think that great progress has been made in the treatment and therapies for depression, whether clinical, sub-clinical, situational or chemical.

Answer 3

I think there is more awareness now than ever before. The old school of thought never let people admit their weakness. They just worked hard, took care of their responsibilities, etc. Depression is a part of our make up as well. Sometimes it comes on when we've had a dissappointing childhood and stress in our present life.

Answer 4

It's not a simple question to answer the doctors
are just guessing I remember having to take
tests that lasted 2 days it was terrible they
put me on Prozac after I told them about my
experence with the drug and I ended up inthe Physc ward at a county hospital.

Answer 5

Sometimes depression is serious and needs medical attention, but the fact remains that for any reason at all doctors throw anti depressants at people, sometimes there is a reason to be depressed its a normal reaction to a situation that needs to be experienced. Not every depression is a chemical imbalance. You were concerned about the stigma of depression because of the depression itself.

Answer 6

I felt this way when I went to see my doctor. I didn't want to because I felt they were gonna think I was making it up, or tell me stop thinking about it or even stop thinking about sad things. I felt weak, I felt like I wasn't the strong person I have always been, I just felt awful. I have been in the medical field for 10 years and have been so shameful to admit that i have taken antidepressants for 7 years. People have told me just dont think about it. I try to explain things medically to them about what it is, how depression works in the brain and how it affects you. After that they are a little more understanding but it takes alot of work. If I see a doctor who doesn't specialize in the field and I tell them I suffer from depression and what meds I take they look at me like, come on you don't need this, just stop thinking about it. Many doctors who don't specialize in the field don't understand how depression works in the brain, how it comes about so they don't want to look at it as being real. My primary doctor just tells me to relax and do yoga and think of positive things, I try to explain to him that with my depression I can't think of positive things, that sometimes I can't even get out of bed. That I sometimes for no reason I cry as if someone died. I get that same sinking mourning feeling I have had when one of my loved ones have died. I am harder on myself now then I have ever been because of the views of some of these doctors, but then when I see my therapist they again explain to me that it's something I can't control. There are things (meds) I can take to help, distractions and just give it time. It is also hereditary in my family, I also have many health conditions that bum me out. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, Endometriosis, Migraines, Depression and Bipolar Disorder. So all this doesn't help. But I chug along one day at a time.

It's sad that more doctors don't study this disease, since it is one of the biggest here in the united states. One of the reasons that the majority of residents are on disability. But, they turn a blind eye because they feel we bring it on ourselves... right!

Anyways, yes I feel as you and have experienced what you have, as well as many patients I have talked to.

Answer 7

hey everybody is suffring from dipression nowadays so it hs bcome most common to all so it may be niglected n also human mentality is to suffer from something rather than nothing for filling of pain coz not only the hapiness that gives life worthiness!one cnt live only wht it so he concider dipression as a global situation of somekind of pain that he really wants for simpathy or anything else

Answer 8

Life sucks and then you marry a chic with a dick. Hey, who knew?

"I tell you this.. no eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn."
-James Douglas Morrison