is depression a common illness?

Answer 1

In U.K. it's said that 1 in 4 people will have it to some extent. Mild depression is fairly common.

Answer 2

Depression has been dubbed the common cold of mental health. Steven Paul, Chief of Clinical Neuroscience at the National Institute of Mental Health states, "Depression is like a fever. It's a nonspecific response to an internal or external insult. Like fever, it has a number of origins and treatments".

In the United States, about 10 percent of the population (7 percent women and 3 percent men) meet the criteria for major depression, and another 4 or 5 percent undergo a depressive experience that is not sufficient to be officially classified as clinical depression. Depression is an expensive illness, costing the American society about $44 billion in lost workdays, poor job performance, and psychotherapeutic care. Although the financial consideration is significant, the personal costs are incalculable. Depression is more isolating and debilitating than any other chronic illness. During their lifetime, nearly one fourth of all women will suffer a major depression
A depressed mood most of the time (for at least two weeks).
Apathy.
A significant weight loss or weight gain.
A significant change of sleep habits.
A marked decrease in mobility.
Feelings of worthlessness.
A diminished ability to think or concentrate; indecisiveness.
Excessive fatigue/loss of energy.
Excessive guilt.
Recurrent thoughts of death.
General suicidal ideas or a concrete suicidal plan/attempt.
Depression is a huge challenge to the medical system. According to the book, Mind, Body, Health, by Hafen, Karren, Frandsen, and Smith, approximately one-fourth of all primary care medical patients come from the 15 percent of the population with major depression and anxiety disorders. If minor depression and anxiety-related issues are included, this figure climbs to almost half of the patients who present themselves to health care facilities for treatment. (Depression and anxiety are combined here because they frequently overlap and have neurochemical similarities.)

Answer 3

yes, its very common, but it depends on the severity of depression you mean!!! i myself started being depressed when i was 15 when a friend of mine died, i covered it up for 3 or 4 years before i had the courage to get help! it also never goes away even after medication which i stopped taking when i was 20, its with you for life whether you like it or not, it may be an underlying feeling but its always there and can easily be triggered into returning! i'm now nearly 24 and i'm terrified of my depression coming back in the severity of how it was then!! my mum also has depression but shes been off medication for over 10 years and is doing great! i think its sad that theres still such a stigma to having depression and taking the medication to help u get better!!

Answer 4

Yes, more than the statistics would acknowledge. Focusing on what you don't want rather than what you do, is simply not true.
In the past people would be unhappy when something went wrong - we then did something about it.
Nowadays, we are not empowered to put anything right. What goes wrong is done to us and not by us. In the old days there used to be social rules ...now there is just an imbalance of power with uneducated, unsocial "loads a money" animals and consequentially increasing depression and medication.

Answer 5

YES! For obvious reaons, I recently discovered that a lot of my friends have or are suffering from depression. I just realised that I've already anwered a question of yours, but if you're able to open up to friends, you'll realise that you're by no means alone. I suppose this is a good site because you can remain anonymous, but being able to discuss it with someone you know and trust can be a tremendous help. You don't need to live with this, you can get over it.

Answer 6

I'd say it's a common symptom of a poor diet. I wouldn't call it an "illness" but a RESULT of not getting proper food/nutrition. It appears to be an American epidemic because Americans eat nothing but junk.
Fatigue, insomnia, mental confusion, nervousness, mood swings, faintness, headaches, depression, phobias, heart palpitations, a craving for sweets, cold hands and feet, forgetfulness, dizziness, blurred vision, inner trembling, outbursts of temper, sudden hunger , allergies, crying spells are all symptoms of bad diets, but your doctor will call it "depression" and give you pills.

Answer 7

i guess you can call it a illness, but hun, its a diesease, think about it.
it takes over you body and mind, just like cancer, or aids.
anorexics, and bulimacs, there condition is declared as a diesease, a dieseas of the mind.
chemical imbalances, are seriouse, and need some comfort.
like a dieseas. idepression works its way to the nerveouse system, body pains, and headaches, it contorks your mind, and your mood elevatores,
it is common and i beleive its a dieseas, not an illness, that i beg to differ, but you dont have to.
if its controling you nerve system, and mixes you modd elevatore, and you arnt you,,,,,,,,, then its a dieseas
cancer.


good luck

Answer 8

The commonly cited 1in4 statistic relates to ALL mental health problems diagnosed. NOT ALL of these will be depression. However, it is generally accepted that the majority of cases of depression are undiagnosed, so the figure is likely to be much higher. it's prevalence is higher in women, and it is getting more and more common generally.

Answer 9

More common than people would have you believe, most people suffer or will suffer depression at some stage in their lives, some very mild and others not so...

Answer 10

Extremley, the older I get and the more people I meet, these days it seems that being depressed is more common than not being depressed! Crazy world.