2007-09-27 08:30:52 · 24 answers · asked by Post Girl 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ People with Disabilities
depression can be severe and debilitating. it can cause a person to be totally unable to function. it can either cause you to want to sleep all the time, or not be able to sleep hardly at all. it makes you not want to be around people and therefore unable to shop. it can cause you to totally not care about yourself and neglect personal hygiene. it is as real a disability as any other
2007-09-27 12:36:27 · answer #1 · answered by bassetfreak 5 · 5⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the kind of depression you're talking about.
If it's the typical kind, where a person is going through a rough time in their life, lost a job, a boyfriend/girlfriend, a relative died, etc, and they're feeling depressed (which is a normal feeling under such circumstances) then, no, it's not a disability. It's a sign that something is going wrong and that a person needs time to grieve.
However, if it's ongoing and has no source (the person is depressed for no reason) or it's ongoing and extreme, to the point that it needs to be treated with medication, therapy and even hospitalization, yes, it's a disability. A chronically depressed person will go without the most basic of things: food, drink, showers, etc and will often neglect family, friends, pets, jobs, favorite hobbies, etc. It is a life-altering condition that makes a person unable to function. And, it can be deadly. Some people get so depressed that, without help, they will commit suicide.
That form of depression is serious and it is real.
2007-09-27 12:27:30 · answer #2 · answered by Avie 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
In a since yes, especially if it's long term. However it's quite common that it's considered a phase for most people. We all get "the blues" sometimes but if the depression goes into the field of clinical, major, or even bipolar that is definitely a disability
2007-09-27 16:38:52 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Yes, I do. My husband has been suffering from depression for 5 years now. There are days when he can't even get out of bed. He doesn't want to eat, shower, or really do anything. Eventually, he comes out of it, but then something sends him back in. He will be okay for weeks at a time. It's an awful thing. He has been on so many medications, they work for awhile then nothing. Depression is hard on everyone.
2007-09-27 08:40:13 · answer #4 · answered by Ohsassyone 3 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Yes, I do. And it's not just because I've had it in some form since I was ten years old (and I'm in my 40s these days).
It's a disability because it can completely *wreck* your motivation (desire to do *anything*, yes, even getting up out of bed), concentration (ability to focus and pay attention) and short-term memory (where are my keys again?). It keeps you from functioning well when *you do* get out there in the world, and most importantly, it makes you too tired, scared and freaked out *to get out there* in the world.
Not to mention, most people with depression of any sort of *lasting nature* have to be on medications of some sort, which in turn brings on their own side effects, up to and including not really being able to *drive* on meds. o_o
And....even so, people's *attitudes* towards depression are a social disability by themselves. Depressed people have problems keeping their friends around....never mind networking in a professional sense. And....there's the HMO thing, where most workplaces *refuse* to spend One Red Cent on needed medications and counseling for psychiatric issues. And....there's people being hyper-vigilant (read: mildly paranoid) about hygiene on the buses and other public transportation. And....there's people in the workplace who just *attack and badmouth* others for "looking like they have a Mental Problem" (I encountered this at a Subway restaurant lately myself.).
Sure, we all seem kind and tolerant online, now, but trust me, I've had to *deal* with people of all sorts telling me I have a "character flaw" when I know better, when the scientists and doctors out there know better....the research is in folks, *it's done* and it's an illness.
So yeah, it's a disability. Maybe it would be less of one if the meds didn't suck much more often than not, and if people weren't such jerks about it. But it can still leave you as weak and impaired as any heart condition....and without proper treatment and attention, it can get you *KILLED* just as easily as diabetes can.
Just my two cents here, as someone who's had to deal with this crap most of his life, and has really had to struggle, for the past 15 years and counting, as an adult, to get *anything* positive going and *keep it going*.
Thanks for your time.
2007-09-27 15:39:09 · answer #5 · answered by Bradley P 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Yes depression can be a disability. If it is stopping you from living a productive life. From interacting with other people, from leaving your home etc.
2007-09-27 08:34:20 · answer #6 · answered by D and G Gifts Etc 6 · 9⤊ 0⤋
I believe depression can be a disability, especially if it is severe.
2007-09-27 14:54:11 · answer #7 · answered by robinl85 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Yes
2007-09-27 10:17:57 · answer #8 · answered by starone 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
That's a good question...I think only to a certain extent. I mean, there are people out there who are truly suffering from depression due to numerous health reasons but there are also people who just choose to be depress because they just love creating dramas in their own life.
2007-09-27 10:13:18 · answer #9 · answered by pangfvlx 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
yes mental disorders are all disability's if it affects basic functioning i.e hold a job , community relations , friendships, and relationships
2007-09-27 10:44:45 · answer #10 · answered by Thumbs Down 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋