Facts of Depression... Anyone have it?

Depression is one of the most common mental disorders affecting 340 million people in the world today, accounting for a full 10% of productive years lost throughout the world. No one is immune from depression - it occurs in people of all social classes, all countries and all cultural settings. One in four women and one in ten men can expect to develop depression during their lifetime, but it's not just adults who suffer...

*...depression affects at least one in 50 children under 12 and one in 20 teenagers.

*About half of all cases of depression is unrecognised and untreated.

*About 10-15 per cent of depressed people take their own lives.

*Depression costs for example the United States an estimated $53 billion each year.

*The World Health Organisation predicts that by the year 2020 depression will be the greatest burden of ill-health to people in the developing world, and that by then severe depression will be the second largest cause of death and disability. BUT DEPRESSION IS ONE OF THE MOST TREATABLE MENTAL ILLNESSES.

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Sometimes it is even possible to be depressed without having the usual 'miserable' feelings. There are lots of different signs which may point to depressive illness - the main ones are listed below. Keep in mind that most depressed people only suffer from a few of these feelings.

**Changed feelings:

Persistent sadness, lasting two weeks or more

Loss of interest in your favourite things

Finding no fun or enjoyment in life

Loss of self-confidence

Feeling guilty, bad, unlikeable, or not good enough

Feeling empty inside

Feeling useless or unable to cope with life

Feeling bored all the time

Increased feelings of anxiety

Can't see a future for yourself

Thinking everything is pointless

Thinking life is not worth living

Thoughts of death or suicide

Wanting to go to sleep and never wake up again

Especially low mood in the mornings

Feeling more irritable, frustrated, or aggressive than usual

Trouble concentrating on things, poor memory

**Other signs:

Loss of energy, tired all the time

Changed sleep pattern - difficulty getting to sleep, bad nightmares, waking in the night, waking up too early, or sleeping much more than usual

Spending less time socialising with friends or family

Loss of sexual desires

Changed eating pattern - loss of appetite and weight loss, or comfort eating

Getting lower grades than usual at school, college, or university

Not going to school/college/work, or becoming disruptive

Becoming a hypochondriac, worrying lots about illness

More headaches, backaches or stomach aches than you normally get

Turning to alcohol or drugs to try to make yourself feel better



I have A LOT of these symptoms. So as you can guess I have depression. And I was wondering who out there has it? I've had it sine I was 13 and am now 18 never had it treated. And that is actually bad becasue I've tried comitting suicide more then once, but couldn't go through it all the way. I tried cutting my wrists is why and blood makes me sick to my stomatch to see! LOL never came to me there are other ways.

It's made my life a living hell!

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