15-21 April is Depression Awareness Week. Dr Richard Bowskill is a consultant psychiatrist and leading expert at the Priory Group. One of his clinical and research interests is in the field of Depression.
Dr Bowskill said: “Depression is a medical disorder just like high blood pressure, diabetes or asthma. It’s an abnormal mood associated with specific and reversible chemical changes in the brain. Depression is not a sign of weakness, nor is it a state you can just snap out of.
10% of men and 25% of women will develop depression at some point in their life
“Nobody is immune to depression and it can happen at any age. In fact, around 10% of men and 25% of women will develop depression at some point in their life, although not all seek depression treatment.
“For many people, depression is triggered by a stressful event, alcohol or drug use, problems stemming from adolescent addictions or an unresolved long-term difficulty. However, in some people that undergo depression treatment, there is no obvious trigger.”
Depression is a normal emotion, which can sometimes lead to a very serious illness (often called major depression, clinical depression or depressive illness). Depressive illness is a physical condition, caused by a disturbance in the chemical system in a part of the brain called the limbic system.
Blog article written by The Priory Group
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on April 15, 2013 at 11:21 am talkhealth