Lets take a moment to talk about depression (mental health disorder help)

Mental Depression. An affliction that affects several million people worldwide regardless of age, gender, social standing or location. Described as a chemical imbalance affecting people’s behaviours, feelings and emotions, its indiscriminate nature has become more and more prevalent in recent times, thanks in part to the prevalence of social media, the internet and other forms of communication. People who have been diagnosed with depression have described feeling sad, empty and hopeless, sometimes restless and angry.

Classified as a mental disorder, it can be caused by medication, a genetic predisposition or triggered by external factors, such as a major personal loss. It can sometimes feature other types of syndromes which are linked to specific types of causes, but overall, individuals have been known to lose interest in activities or hobbies they once cherished, experience relationship difficulties and sometimes contemplate suicide.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), suicide is the leading cause of death amongst those aged 15-44 worldwide, with an estimated one million people dying as a result every year. Depression (and other mental health disorders) has been associated to over 90% of those cases. The WHO has recorded a 60% increase in suicide rates over the past 45 years, and expect the trend to continue.

Depression can be easily diagnosed by any doctor or medical health professionals, with recent improvements in online services also leading to help detect and assess the severity of depression. As aforementioned, there are several different types of depression, all with varying types of severity and symptoms, but all of them can be treated.

There is medication available to help reduce the symptoms of depression, with a multitude of different drugs available to be prescribed by a licensed physician. Different people have different reactions however, with doctors recommending different ways to treat depression depending on the patient, from counselling to alternative medicine, they stress that the way people deal with depression doesn’t matter as long as they feel its works.

If you want to talk to someone anonymously there are several services available for you, including a range of support groups, online chatrooms or phone lines. Additionally, there are also quite a few websites and charities that are tailored towards helping you through your depression or to learn more about it. Below are a list of major resources you can use to read up on depression or seek help:

Lifeline: https://www.lifeline.org.au/

Beyond Blue: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/depression

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml

Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA): https://www.adaa.org/

Help Guide: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/dealing-with-depression.htm

Health Article about: New cancer study reveals that “bad luck” more of a factor than behavior