"Depression a 21st century plague"

This is probably going to wind people up, but I think it needs to be said...

I recon that a lot of people use the term "depression" as an excuse for the fact that they are not mentally strong. -And because it's been labeled as an illness then they get some sort of pity as it is not their fault. It really winds me up when people get depressed about stupid things such as;



when there are so many people out there who have lost everything but are mentally strong enough not to bring everyone else down with them.

And before everyone gets really cross, I do recognise that some people genuinely have depression but I think that the majority of people who say they do or are diagnosed with it are looking for excuses to feel sorry for themselves.

There are doctors who don't even take you seriously when you *have* done some of those things. Some doctors I think aren't really sure of how to deal with it and seem to turn to pills like fluoxetine straight away to try and make the problem go away.

I've noticed that a lot of people who are "depressed" publicise it whereas people with other mental illness tend not to as much. This is one of the reasons I find it hard to believe that the depression is a genuine illness as to me it often appears to be an attention seeking act.

The statistics show the depression in the United States continues to surpass its all-time highs, we have had increases in diagnosed depression nearly every year for two decades in a row now and there is no end in site. In fact one study showed a 12% of the American population is taking Prozac. (Ezine)

Similarly I am told there were 31 million prescriptions for depression last year in the UK, compared to:-
1971: 7 million
1981: 8 million
1991: 9 million
2001: 27 million

Have we forgotten the old remedies?
In the 1970s you may have been told "your father fought in the war or worked down the coalmine so snap out of it".
Did people just turn to alcohol more ?
Do doctore more readily prescribe the pills now whereas in "the good old days" it would just be "join a rambling club" ?
Or, has society changed so that there is actually more depression ?

Or a combination of all ??

I suspect the latter - there is certainly more information flow and the more you hear about depression, the more you might tell yourself you have it, and then self-induce it to some extent.

wow thats very comforting - did you get in? How did you go about alerting them? thanks alot.

I wrote to them separately and said, that I am suffering from post traumatic stress and I can get a teacher to support it if need be. I sent them an email, also a reference from my teacher explaining that I am depressed and it is impacting upon my studies, and that was it. I got in yes. I however feel quite bad as i declined their offer. But all the universities I contacted this year were very supportive.