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Who and Why

Causes

Symptoms

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Who and Why

Young, old, male, female can all become depressed. Depression is increasing in all age groups but particularly amongst teenagers. Daily living has become more stressful. Changes in society, the general break up of families and relationships, perceiving yourself to be unsuccessful, even with the affluent trappings of today’s life can lead to depression. Millionaires can be depressed!

Females experience depression about twice as often as males. Women can find it difficult to go out and socialise, especially if they are looking after children. They may feel trapped in the home environment. Menopause, hypertension, marriage problems can all be negative attributes in their lives.

Men tend to experience depression with a job loss, lack of promotion, arguments at home, getting older and often with the experience of health problems. They frequently choose not to seek therapy or visit their doctor. They may tend to go out, socialise and drink more alchohol to suppress their underlying anxiety.

Depression is estimated around 40% more common amongst children who have grown up with a parent who is depressed. Depression in children can be misdiagnosed as a behavioural or learning disorder. Being bullied at school can cause depression. Pressure in school through increased workload, inability to function, labelling…..etc can create despair and frustration. This can lead to general anxiety, feelings of helplessness and hopelessness.

Depression in the elderly may occur when children have left home whom they no longer see. They may see their life as ‘being over’. It may be they have an illness or disease which remains undiagnosed. Incidentally “clinical depression” really refers to someone who is depressed and has some form of illness that is causing that depression.

Of course not everyone who experiences problems or stresses will become “depressed”. However it is thought th 50% of the depressed population go untreated because either they don’t know they are depressed or a consultation with the doctor failed to diagnose depression.

There can be many underlying medical and psychological disorders that create depression where a full investigation is required.