Depression is one of the most common illnesses worldwide – an estimated 3.8% of people across the globe experience it. However, it is still a widely misunderstood condition attached to myths, misconceptions, and stigma.
In this blog, we share five common myths surrounding depression and explain the realities of the condition.
1. Everyone Struggles With Depression Sometimes
Life has its ups and downs, and it’s normal to feel sad sometimes. There may be times when you feel depressed, especially in response to difficult events or life stresses.
However, depression as a clinical diagnosis is more than just experiencing sad or depressed feelings. Clinical depression is characterised by a period of low mood that lasts longer than two weeks and interferes with daily functioning. Sadly, clinical depression is experienced by one in six adults during their lifetimes.
In addition to a persistent feeling of sadness, depression is associated with symptoms such as:
- A lack of interest in activities previously enjoyed
- Intense feelings of guilt or worthlessness
- Irritability and frustration
- Trouble sleeping
- Suicidal thoughts
It should be noted that there are several types of depression, each of which induces a range of feelings and emotions. These include:
- Unipolar depression, including major depression – this type of depression is characterised by sustained periods of low mood.
- Bipolar depression – bipolar depression is associated with alternating periods of low and high manic moods.
- Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) – SAD sees people develop depressive symptoms in either the summer or winter, recovering in the alternate season.
2. Depression Only Has Psychological Symptoms
Major depression is a mental disorder – but it has physical symptoms too. Our minds and bodies are intimately connected, and our mental states often trigger physical reactions. Depression is associated with a range of physical symptoms, including hives, migraines, and gastrointestinal problems.
Physical pain is also a common symptom of depression. In fact, unexplained aches and pains often prompt people with depression to visit a healthcare professional. Two important neurotransmitters in our brain – serotonin and norepinephrine – affect our mood and pain functions. When there are imbalances in these hormones, we can experience changes in both mood and pain, including chronic joint pain, limb pain, and back pain.
Physical and psychological symptoms can be treated by the same treatment methods. For example, antidepressants that inhibit the uptake of serotonin and norepinephrine can effectively improve physical symptoms by targeting the pathways that regulate pain and mood in the spinal cord.
3. Recovery From Depression Only Requires Willpower
Depression is a mental health condition that is associated with physical changes in the brain and body. It is not simply a mood that we can snap out of or overcome with willpower alone.
That said, depression is treatable, and recovery is possible with the right support. Around 70 to 90% of people benefit from antidepressant treatment. Other evidence-based treatment methods for depression include:
- talk therapies like cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and psychoanalytic therapy.
- antidepressant medication.
CBT can support people with depression by helping them to identify negative thoughts and behavioural patterns and turn them into more positive ones. This may involve learning to avoid defeatist thinking, celebrating small accomplishments, and reframing the way they see themselves and the world around them. CBT focuses on the present, learning new skills, and making positive changes in real-time.
Other kinds of therapy, including psychoanalytic therapy, aim to identify deep-rooted causes of emotions, reactions, and behaviours. Here, therapists consider how past events may have affected present experiences to gain a holistic understanding of the unconscious influences that underlie our mental states. With these insights, clients and therapists can work together to understand their experiences and heal from past events.
4. You Need To Take Antidepressants Forever
Antidepressants are a long-term and effective treatment option for many people with depression. Although some people may feel better within a few days of starting treatment, it takes other people up to four weeks to feel the effects of antidepressants.
However, not everyone needs to take antidepressants forever. How long treatment lasts differs from person to person, so taking the medication exactly as a doctor prescribes is vital. According to the NHS, a course of treatment usually lasts six months, although some people with recurrent depression may take them indefinitely.
People recovering from depression may receive psychotherapy alongside antidepressants. This can help improve depressive symptoms and overcome underlying causes of depression, reducing the need for antidepressant medication over time.
5. Antidepressants Change Your Personality
Antidepressants work by altering your brain chemistry, affecting the availability of certain hormones. Though this may seem alarming, remember that antidepressants only affect certain chemicals in your brain and will not change your whole personality.
In fact, many people find that they feel more like themselves after taking antidepressants. Depression can cause you to feel tired, hopeless, and uninspired by the things you used to love. Effective antidepressant treatment can help you to reconnect with these passions and rekindle your energy for life.
However, antidepressants don’t work for everyone. If you feel like antidepressants aren’t improving your symptoms or have too many side effects, you should talk to a doctor about alternative treatment methods.
Depression Treatment at Vitalis Wellbeing
At Vitalis Wellbeing, we offer bespoke mental healthcare programmes for clients living with depression. Our holistic services combine general psychotherapy with eye-movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, a novel mental wellness treatment that uses repeated movements to help clients process distressing experiences.
In addition to the above, we pride ourselves on offering exceptional, individualised care to every client. We tailor programmes exactly to each client’s needs, providing them with a dedicated support team from the start to the end of their treatment experience.
We fit our flexible outpatient programmes around each client’s schedule, ensuring they can continue to fulfil work and home obligations as they progress through their treatment. We believe everyone should have access to effective mental wellness support, and so we work with clients to build the best plan for their needs.
If you live with depression, contact us today to find out how we can support you.
