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what is depression? woman facing away from point of view with hands over her head
Depression, Mental Health Awareness

What is Depression?

  • by PHS

“I’m so depressed”

You’ve probably heard someone in your life say this at some point. We often use phrases like this to let other people know that we are feeling blue or down. It’s not always meant in a serious way and can be used to describe only temporary feelings of sadness.

Unfortunately, this common use phrasing has caused some confusion for people in understanding struggling with mood disorders and mental health. Mood disorders are very real illnesses that can have some serious impacts. In some cases they have led to other health complications. They have also led people to take extreme actions to end their own suffering.

The common “ups and downs” of life should be distinct from those struggling with depression (Government of Canada, 2016). Creating a distinction between the two helps those who need support because it acknowledges the seriousness of the problem. It ensures that their suffering isn’t dismissed as something they will just “get over” with time but something that they need support with. Being able to understand the difference between a passing moment in someone’s life and persistent negative feelings can be the difference that changes someone’s life.

What is Depression?

Depression is more than just a case of the blues. It is a mood disorder that causes feelings of overwhelming despair that feels like the worst pain imaginable (Mood Disorders Society of Canada, 2019). Not only is the pain unbearable, but it is a constant state of being for the person. This persistent state of being is a mental health condition that limits a person’s functioning and diminishes their quality of life (Malhi & Mann, 2018).

The illness can manifest in a number of ways to impact a person’s emotional, physical, cognitive, or behavioral function. Each person will respond a little differently with their struggle causing the symptoms to vary from person to person. Many people ignore their symptoms or suffer in silence. Some do so because of the guilt associated with the illness making them believe that their depression is somehow their fault or a character flaw (Mood Disorders Society of Canada, 2019).

man sitting on a bench with head in hands looking depressed

There is more than one kind of depression that can impact people and the different types can include a range of different symptoms and criteria for diagnosis. Some types include:

  • Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
  • Postpartum depression
  • Depression with psychosis
  • Dystheymia
  • Major depression
  • Bipolar depression

How Common is It?

Mood disorders are among the most common mental health struggles. In Canada, roughly 5.4% of Canadians aged 15+ report symptoms that met the diagnosis criteria of a mood disorder with 4.7% of those for major depression (Government of Canada, 2016). This is just slightly below the 6% average seen across most countries (Malhi & Mann, 2018).

There is some debate about how the illness impacts people of different genders. It is thought that women experience higher rates of the illness but men tend to express their depressive symptoms differently and can be more difficult to diagnose (CAMH, 2019).

No Need to Suffer in Silence

Depression can have some significant impacts to a person’s health. If you or someone you know is struggling, seek out support! There is no need to continue to struggle.

At Progressive Housing Society, we offer mental health support services for a number of clients. Support services are determined through Recovery Plan Reviews that include the participant, their support worker and their Case Manager at the Burnaby Mental Health outpatient centre. You can make a difference in the support offered by donating today. Every $1 raised goes to providing care to those in need.

References

CAMH. (2019). Depression. Retrieved from CAMH: https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addiction-index/depression

Government of Canada. (2016, 12 30). What is Depression? Retrieved from Government of Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/chronic-diseases/mental-illness/what-depression.html

Malhi, G. S., & Mann, J. J. (2018). Depression. Lancet, 2299-2312.

Mood Disorders Society of Canada. (2019). What is Depression. Retrieved from Mood Disorders Society of Canada: https://mdsc.ca/edu/what-is-depression/

Mood Disorders Society of Canada. (2019, 11 05). What is Depression. Retrieved from DepressionHurts.ca: http://depressionhurts.ca/en/about/

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