Depression is real, and it is a complex mental health disorder. 

For people who don’t struggle with mental health illness, it is easy to dismiss depression as something that just doesn’t affect them. However, if you or someone you care about has ever suffered from depression, you know that this mental health problem is very real and not something that will just go away on its own.

While there are some self-help strategies that you can use in coping with depression, keep in mind that depression is a serious mental health illness that should be treated by a mental health professional.

Unfortunately, many people never seek medical attention for depression symptoms, therefore remaining undiagnosed and untreated.

Depression is a condition that can destroy a family from the inside out as well as the life of the individual affected, if not recognised and treated on time.

A major medical study reports that depression causes significant problems in the functioning of those affected – more often than arthritis, hypertension, chronic lung disease, and diabetes. In fact, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression is the leading cause of disability today, affecting more than 300 million people worldwide.

Depression is not just “feeling blue”. It is a medical disorder like diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease. It is something that affects your thoughts, feelings, physical health, and behaviour.

Depression symptoms are characterised not only by negative thoughts and moods but also by specific changes in your body’s functions such as irregular eating and sleeping patterns.

Recovering from depression is not easy. In addition, each person’s recovery process is different. However, according to the National Mental Health Association, more than 80 per cent of people who get treatment for depression symptoms say it helps.

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