Depressives, The Outsiders!

Because I live within a society here in the United Kingdom which simply does not talk about mental illness as it is a big taboo even in these so called more enlightened times. All this made worse by a National Health Service which is ill-equipped, poorly funded and most worrying with doctors who simply do not understand Mental illness itself.

This leaves myself and my partner who suffer from forms of depression to fend for ourselves with no to pitiful help for our illness from a National Health Service and a society in general who try to sweep mental illness under the carpet or think it is just an excuse for people to moan or not work.

Yes, the government I trying to do something to make people more aware of Mental Illness but it is falling on a society which simply does not understand it or want to. The British public are so clued up especially about Depression there are those out there who still believe that they can catch Depression or come out with magical lines ‘Pull yourself together!’ or ‘Cheer Up!’.

So with this background it is not surprising people like myself and partner find ourselves without both the medical and financial help we need when the depression is bad and we cannot work because of it.

What is even worse I have live in a position of constantly fighting my depression without the help I need which means in the end my quality of life is coloured by it to a point it can be living hell with only escape being next to useless Health Service who really do nothing for you!

What makes this whole situation worse if I were suffering Cancer or other Physical illness here in United Kingdom I would have all the help, including financial, to live and even work. This sort of says everything about modern British Society who are still afraid of Mental illness.

In the end people like myself and my partner feel like outsiders and scroungers in our own society because we ask for help because of our Depression because we dared to have a mental illness which is robbing us of our lives and humanity!

Depression is the Result of Guilt: The Christian View

This has to be strangest view some people within the Christian Community that Depression is caused by someone who is full of guilt which causes their depression. Frankly it shows a complete lack of understanding both Depression and Human Condition in general. I like to know just how these people in question came up with this conclusion!

I have to inform them any guilt associated with Depression is because of the depression itself not the cause of the depression it is one of the major feelings you get because of the depression.

It has to be said these people are frankly wrong and rather than helping people suffering Depression they continue to propagate the myths and misconceptions which surround Depression. In addition it really shows a total lack of understanding of the Human Condition and very unhealthy belief in the words of the Bible on these people part.


Please note: If want to see my second life journal then go to the Journal of a Spectral Traveller.

Myths and Misconceptions About Depression!

This is sort of a personal journal entry sort of triggered by two other people’s blog entries which claimed depression is a myth or depression is the result of personal guilt, this from someone with a religious bent.

I have to disagree with the both of them as depression is a real illness which effects a large proportion of the population plus it shows a denial on these people’s part what depression exactly is. They perpetuate both misconceptions and prejudices against depression which has lead to lack of understanding of depression both from within and outside of the medical profession.

The greatest problem of people who suffer mental illness, including depression, is lack of understanding from the people around them and lack of real and productive research by the medical profession itself who do not take mental illness seriously even now!

It is high time society in general started to treat mental illnesses with the same seriousness as physical illnesses like cancer and stop trying to sweep the problem under the carpet with their baseless prejudices.

Mental illness exists and blights a large number of people who have to suffer alone because of peoples attitude towards them and their mental illness. Even now people show a fear and prejudice towards such people which shows a great lack of basic humanity and allowing unfounded fears to colour their reactions to people with mental illness.

Saying all this there are those people who cynically use depression as an excuse to be for their antisocial behaviours, like drinking too much or taking drugs, or not to work because they are ill. Frankly they do a disservice to real depression suffers as they perpetuate myths about depression. Basically what they are doing is immoral as a large majority of people who suffer depression can still lead relatively normal lives and be very productive at work and do!

In my own case from my personal experience of depression and the fact that every time I come off my antidepressants I quickly fall back into a depression it really starting to look my depression being not a pure mental illness but has a large physical component. The antidepressants I take are SSI antidepressants which block my brains uptake of Serotonin in my brain which effectively stops me falling back into a depression.

So in my case my depression may have been triggered by events early in my life which effected by mental imbalance but now is not a true mental illness but a physical problem inside my brain so I am starting to question if it is now a true mental illness as it looks like I may have to be on antidepressants for the rest of my life to keep me from falling back into depression.

In conclusion we as a society and as people have to treat mental illness with far more compassion and humanity and some people to stop using it as excuse not to work or for flaws in their characters. In addition in the case of depression it is being over simplified as a pure mental illness it may well also have a physical side which needs to be looked into sooner than later.


Please note: If want to see my second life journal then go to the Journal of a Spectral Traveller.