Attitudes towards depression

Why aren't you asking for help?

Denial

You know that something is wrong but you still don't ask for help. This is a common human reaction, even if it is the wrong thing to do. You are running a great risk if you just:

• Try to forget the whole thing
• Hope that things aren't really that bad
• Hope that it will just pass
• Think "Time is a great healer"
• Think "Tomorrow's another day" - and so on

Hopes and thoughts like this may be due to:

• Fear of doctors
• Fear of the truth
• Wishful thinking

Ignorance

The less you know about depression and its treatment, the lower the chances of you or your family and friends intervening in time.

Recent years have seen doctors, patient groups and patients making a major effort to increase public understanding of depression and other forms of mental illness. There is a great deal to suggest that negative attitudes to depression are gradually being overturned. Open a paper or turn on the TV and you will find celebrities talking about how they've battled with depression and decided to start working again or return to a less stressful life.

Fortunately we're all learning more and more about depression - which is good news for everyone.

Prejudice

Many of us view mental illness as something completely different to other forms of illness and are embarrassed and stigmatised by it.

Imagine that you have to explain to your colleagues at work why you've been off sick for some time. What would you rather tell them:

• You had a skiing accident
• You had a stomach ulcer
• You had a serious heart problem
• You were depressed

Perhaps we're ashamed that we just aren't strong enough. We try to hide our depression both at work and at home. We're scared of what other people will think and say. We would not feel the same about other serious illnesses and depression is just the same.

Doesn't it seem strange how mental illness can trigger such strong feelings of guilt and shame?

The increase in knowledge and openness about depression will help remove some of the stigma and should improve our perception of the illness. We need to understand that it is a serious illness, and not something to be embarrassed about.

This change in public perception of depression will help many people to lead an easier and happier life and to seek treatment early.