The concepts of self-help and open conversations surrounding mental illness have massively grown in popularity in recent years. Among a boom in online communication tools, anonymous conversations, and a genuine interest in how modern-day Western society is affecting the mental health of those living within it, there has much exploration into the mind in the … Read more
Depression is a debilitating condition. It can take many different forms, but they all share the same ruleset: no matter how hard someone tries, just ‘cheering up’ is never an option. If you’re living with someone with depression, helping them can feel like an impossible challenge. It might feel like, no matter what you do, … Read more
If a case of depression does not go into remission by itself within a month, research indicates that, without treatment, it goes on for at least another six months (or longer) in three out of four cases. For many, depression can come and go for years and decades, and become a lifetime struggle. Leaving it … Read more
High-functioning depression is a form of depression that occurs in the combination of certain personalities as well as symptoms. While major depressive disorder, the most common form of depression, is known to be debilitating and often causes a decline in workplace attendance and performance as well as legitimate disability, depression is more of a sliding … Read more
One of the characteristics of depression is a struggle with staying motivated to do anything. Many people with depression struggle with tasks that others take for granted, including matters of personal hygiene and daily chores. Procrastination becomes harder to overcome, and inner thoughts of apathy echo alongside phrases like ‘what’s the point?’ Depression quickly turns … Read more
The short answer is yes. In all likelihood, your drinking – no matter or big or small it might be – is making your depression worse. In the best-case scenario, it does nothing for you in the long-term and is likely to alienate you from utilizing effective forms of treatment. In the worst-case scenario, it’s … Read more
When someone is diagnosed with major depressive disorder, there’s usually a 60 percent chance that their condition developed due to environmental factors, and a 40 percent chance that they developed due to genetic factors. People with direct relatives (parents/siblings) with depression are three times as likely to also struggle with depression than the rest of … Read more
Suicide can be a very frightening topic to broach, and it’s not something anyone wants to discuss lightly. This is why it’s generally very important to take someone seriously when they begin to discuss suicide. Even jokes about suicide, if made frequently and specifically in reference to your friend wanting to attempt suicide, can be … Read more
Anxiety and depression, unfortunately, often go hand in hand. Comorbidity between these two disorders is incredibly high, with as much as half of patients with depression also presenting with symptoms of anxiety. Furthermore, patients who struggle with both anxiety and depression tend to have a less optimistic prognosis as those with either disorder, and don’t … Read more
Seasonal depression, or seasonal affective disorder, is marked by decreased mood and feelings of sadness specifically around certain periods of the year. It’s most common during winter time in temperate climates, when the available daylight per day is at its shortest, and nights last much longer. In many people, this causes a shift in the … Read more