Inspiration for You
Depression is a common mental disorder with manifestations such as depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy, and poor concentration.
Why is it important to talk about depression? According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and World Health Organization (WHO):
- Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide, surpassed only by cardiovascular disease.
- Of all mental health conditions, depression is the most prevalent, with 20-25% of all people experiencing it.
- It is the leading global cause of years of health lost to disease, the #1 cause of loss of health in middle/high income countries, and the #8 cause of loss of health in low-income countries.
- In developing countries, depression is nearly twice as prevalent as in developed countries.
- It affects 350 million people worldwide.
- It is expected to be the #1 worldwide disease in the next ten years.
- It costs over $100 billion dollars in treatment, disability and lost productivity in United States each year.
- It affects up to 1 in 3 people who see an Internal Medicine physician in the US.
- Nearly 99 percent of people by age 70 experience situational depression due to serious loss.
- Women are more at risk. Studies show that women are two to three times more likely than men to have depression, and 1 in 4 women will suffer from clinical depression sometime during their lives, versus 1 in 8 men.
Depression occurs in persons of all genders, ages, and backgrounds.
Removing the
Stigma
It is important to become educated regarding recognition, prevention, and better management of this common illness so hope can be restored beyond the pain and tears that accompany the disorder. If we ourselves are not personally struggling with depression, we may interact daily with someone who is—a relative, friend, coworker, or fellow church member. So what can we do to help? We should start by discarding our own misconceptions about depression and understand that it is a disease. We must recognize and treat depression in the same compassionate and nonjudgmental manner as we would treat any other disease.
Download “Beyond Tears,” a seminar about depression at women.adventist.org
Top 10 SYMPTOMS of Depression
- Persistent sad, anxious or “empty feelings”
- Feeling of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness
- Irritability, restlessness
- Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex
- Fatigue and decreased energy
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, making decisions
- Insomnia, early morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping
- Overeating or appetite loss
- Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts
- Persistent aches or pains, headaches
I know your tears; I also have wept. The griefs
that lie too deep to be breathed into
any human ear, I know. Think not that you
are desolate and forsaken. Though your pain
touch no responsive chord in any
heart on earth, look unto Me, and live.
The Desire of Ages, p. 483
