Depression is a very common disease. In fact, everyone at some time in his life felt seized by its symptoms. Sadness, crying, despair and apathy are feelings that we are all accustomed to.
However, the fact is that inside popular imagination still remain many myths about depression. And these false beliefs become a problem while we’re struggling to combat the symptoms and have a full life.
Some of the most common myths are:
1. Depression isn’t a medical problem. In fact, it is estimated that depression causes the suicide of between 50,000 and70,000 people each year. In the UnitedStates, about 125,000 people with depression are hospitalized and another 200,000 go under psychiatric treatment. These figures indicate that depression is a real problem that affects the emotional, social and physical realm of the individual.
2. Depression is common only in developed countries. While the rates of depression in industrialized countries is higher than indeveloping countries, it is also true that depression affectsall cultures and countries. In fact, it is estimated that by 2020 this disease will be the second leading cause of disability worldwide.
3. Depression doesn’t affect children or adolescents. According to figures provided by the National Institute of Mental Health, 1 every 33 children and 1 every 8 adolescents experience depression. Obviously, not major depression but a kind of milder form.
4. Depression is part of aging. As a matter of fact, depression is one of the least typical elderly diseases.In fact, elders are the least affected group among which the suicides tied to depression are pretty rare.
5. Depression disappears over time. When it comes to mild depression, it can disappear when the causes that gave rise to it no longer exist, butwhen it comes to major depression, it will be necessary to undergo treatment. The good news is that depression is not only treatable but also shows a remission rate of 90% among patients undergoing therapy.
6. Depression is the disease of the weak. As a matter of fact, depression is a problem that can affect anyone because it depends on many factors, from biological constraints to the upbringing and psychological tools available to deal with stressful situations and particularly those with a negative emotional meaning.
7. Depressed people can’t achieve anything in their lives. Depression is an obstacle. About that there’s no question, but it doesn’t mean we can’t win. In fact, great personalities of the present and the past like Abraham Lincoln, Michelangelo, Winston Churchill and Bruce Springsteen have all suffered from major depression.
