Do you believe depression is an illness?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-29-2003
Do you believe depression is an illness?
32
Mon, 04-19-2004 - 4:30pm
My stepmother doesn't think depression is an illness, and I think it is.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-26-2004
Mon, 04-19-2004 - 5:08pm

Hi, Arlington!

AcornLeaves
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-07-2003
Mon, 04-19-2004 - 9:14pm

Yes arlington3,


I totally believe depression is an illness.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-26-2004
Mon, 04-26-2004 - 5:14am
depression is not an illness, however if it's accumulating, it could be an illness.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-26-2004
Mon, 04-26-2004 - 5:46am
There are some who believe that depression is a life crippling disease,

and there are those that believe it is an excuse or cop-out. Personally,

I was diagnosed with Manic-Depression or Bi-Polar disorder along with

several other phobias. I do know that I am not depressed all of the time,

but there are certain things that happen to trigger the onset of the ugly

demons I try so hard to hide, There are no medicines to make it go away

I have been on several over the years and they do things to your body

that can make you even more depressed, or leave you feeling nothing at

all. So, I believe that it is an illness for me as I am sure it is for

many, many others. Like you, my Father was totally against taking me

taking any medications or going to psychiatrists.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-22-2003
Mon, 04-26-2004 - 6:39am

Hi there!


Depression is definately an illness and has many stages of severity almost like Cancer... It can be sometimes just triggered by

*hugs             

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-21-2004
Mon, 04-26-2004 - 9:39am
Hi Arlington, I seen your post and just wanted to let you know that my family members feel the same as your stepmother does. They've never had to deal with this kind of illness and it's not like a broken leg or something they can see. In my case I generally just don't go around them very often and when I do I put the game face on for the couple of hours I'm there.

I do think that a lot more people are becoming more understanding of this illness than a few years back.

Take Care, Ellen

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-26-2004
Mon, 04-26-2004 - 12:41pm
I was diagnosed with depression last year. Initially, I was mad at myself for having the illness, but I was told it was not my fault. I was told by the doctor that unless I start doing something about it with medication, I would not improve. Depression is not something that you can just stop having because although you associate it with a feeling of being "depressed", you actually also have a chemical deficiency in your brain. If your body does not produce enough of this chemical (i can't remember what its called), than you feel tired, unhappy, less motivation, lazy. For me, just making myself get out of bed in the mornings was a struggle, just because I felt like there was no point. I was prescribed Paxil, which I was only on for a short time because I am now pregnant. Once my body got used to the medication, I started feeling better about myself and my life. I developed a more positive attitude. Physically, the med is not a stimulant, and the only real side affect i felt was at the beginning, i was tired, but eventually it started working like it should. Now that i am off the med, i do not feel withdrawal, so it is safe to say that Paxil for me was not addictive. However, it could be the hormones as well associated with pregnancy, but i often have some of the same symptoms initially associate with my depression. So now that i can see the depression "coming back", I believe and know that depression is an illness. if you think you have the illness, see a doctor. You will see a change in the way you perceive yourself and life once you get treatment. Hope I answered your question.





iVillage Member
Registered: 01-26-2004
Mon, 04-26-2004 - 6:14pm
Chuen, I want to welcome you to our board.
AcornLeaves
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-26-2004
Mon, 04-26-2004 - 6:20pm
Welcome to our board, Manganinnie123!
AcornLeaves
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-14-2003
Mon, 04-26-2004 - 9:45pm

I saw this thread on the main messageboard page been a popular thread or something like.

~Jessica

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