DEPRESSION...I wonder how widespread severe depression is?

[GabbyLoggon]

Another test cricketer is on the way home from the World Cup due
to depression, he is not the first.

I assume it must be clynical for him to come home.

Geoff Boycott, who I usually like, made a fool of himself over this..
said the player was "not good enough" (wrong words at the wrong time.)

It is said by experts that depression is still a taboo subject. Well, it should not be these days, surely

Yes, Gabby, depression is very widespread. and there are times when
Mr Boycott should say nothing. He makes it seem that all Yorkshire men are
insensitive. They ceratinly are not

I work within mental health services and its a sad fact that Statistics show that 1 in 4 adults in the UK will suffer from a mental health problem at some point and 1 in 10 children .

www.overcomedepression.co.uk/HowCommonDepression.html

Fit2drop thanks for the link

If every time someone comments about depression and doesn't get the sentiment 100% right we jump down their throats, people will stop talking all together and it'll become an even more taboo subject.

Mental health has always been frowned upon because those who have never suffered do not understand it.

You cannot see mental illness therefore it does not exist are most peoples thoughts.

They think it is a case of pull yourself together, if only it were that easy.

Boycott's remarks may have been insensitive but he did not say 'pull yourself together' or claim depression didn't exist. His experience is that of a sportsman, not a doctor or psychiatrist. Sport at international level requires quite a high degree of mental strength as well as physical ability. The England cricket team has been on tour now for months, away from family and friends, cooped up together in what must be quite an artificial environment. There have been comments from others in the team that it's been too long - but they daren't really complain too hard because it's seen as a privileged job. Would Yardy's current bout of depression be just the same if he'd been at home, relaxing with loved ones? Possibly. But it's also possible that the stress of the situation has exacerbated an existing condition.

Totally agree with you fabby! I could write on this subject all day long but would bore every one to tears. It's a chronic, widespread, debilitating illness that I would not wish on my worst enemy.

I have had depression in the past and I have broken my ankles - guess which one I had more understanding for?

Again, totally agree Fabby. You wouldn't tell someone with pneumonia to 'snap out of it' and it's exactly the same with depression. Dorothy Rowe, the Australian psychologist has written some excellent books about it. She once suggested drawing your depression - how would you represent it, visually, and I realised my vision of depression was me, frozen in a block of ice.

An ex-friend once referred to my terrible PND as 'feeling a bit sorry for yourself.'

My mother suffered from it terribly but being a Catholic she 'offered it up for her sins' instead of getting some help. Her misery blanketed my entire childhood.

Yes, Fabby ,
the previous cricketer who jumped ship had a foreign name; something like
Trescothic ....He wrote a book about his experience. He was a brilliant batsmen and may be still playing county cricket. The new man is called Yardey. He was on the fringe of the test team

I think one problem was that this tour is going on for ever. Test matches, 20-20 and the 50 over game. (It was badly organised,) Just for money making reasons, I suppose.

This new instance will spawn many articles on the subject. That may well be a good thing.

What am I doing writing on Mumsnet on my wedding anniversary?

Forgot to add - I think depression is widespread but it's expressed differently with men and women. I work with Samaritans and many many of the angry men I talk to are actually very depressed. And they live in a culture which doesn't really encourage men to voice their fears without being thought of as 'weak' or 'unmanly'.

There are some who believe that depression is anger turned inwards, which may explain why women become more depressed than men. Or it could just be that women are more likely to seek help so are seen to be the more depressed gender.

Trescothick is a West Country name! Foreign... LOL!

I think part of the problem is that so
e people are quick to say I'm depressed rather than saying I'm feeling down, a bit like flu and a cold. If you have boy do you know about it.

Yes, Frizz, Dorothy Rowe once worked in my area.

She says she was regarded as controversial by the establishment; but I found her a very interesting woman.

Oh and, by the way, if you're going to accuse decent men like Trescothick and Yardy who are suffering from an illness of 'jumping ship'... (like a rat, perhaps?) then you're worse than Boycott....

Trescothicks book is called coming back to me.

A great if somewhat overwhelming book.

Oh, Trescothick is it.....? Yes depression is commonly called anger turned in on yourself. Many years ago, our doctors were shovelling one particular drug into ladies....it caused problems later. I have forgotten its name.

You come here accusing Boycott of making a fool of himself, start a thread about the emotive subject of clinical depression and then go off on a tangent about depressed men 'jumping ship', 'anger turned in on yourself' (not true) and shovelling drugs into ladies?...... FFS

Come on cut to the chase what was that drugs name.? I believe it was being dished out in the 60s and 70s. And became rather controversial later.

But many doctors defended it. (our professions tend to defend their backs pretty well) Its not just politicians and the police.

Nurse Gabby has said it is Valium Is it still being used

I think Gabby isn't asking this question in a particularly good way, but I do wonder how widespread it is, and I suspect it is rather widespread. I would think the 1 in 4 suffering at some point is quite possibly an underestimate.

I also wonder what this says about us a society and the way we're living our lives.

Florence...I gather what they call clinical depression is the very serious one.

There are mild depressions which doctors say they can treat quickly.
(But you do have to go to the doctor)

I suspect the valium thing was when many women were staying at home
with or without children)

In fact I have heard women say "I dont really need the money; but I cant cope with being at home all day."

Every major change has plusses and minusses. It is difficult to fathom one from the other in modern society. Going to the dogs? Up to a point we always are. cheers

Valium is diazepam (I think) it is still used my friend was prescribed it. When she was at home with 3 under 5...

Before the valium in the 70s I think everyone was off their head on gin? And cocaine, heroin and opium were legal and freely available in various tinctures...

I think this has always gone on but now people seek professional help, and so get counted more. As the things that people used to self-medicate are made illegal / socially unacceptable. That's my pet theory anyway

Causes of depression,,seem to be many and varied. I will ist a few.

           Lonleyness

           Broken relationship (s)

           Bad Physical health

           Long term unemployment

           Too much interspection

           Inherited temperament. (much is in the genes.)

           Serious debt

and much more. I do believe modern doctors can help

I am at home but don't feel the need for Valium.

Possibly a bit more interested after reading this thread though.....