Depression: Let’s First Address the Elephant in the Room
Depression rates are rising in the United States. The steepest increases are happening to women and young adults. Lifetime depression rates are also rising. Around 37% of women will be diagnosed with depression at some point in their life. That rate used to be much lower just 5 years ago. Over 25% of people in the United States right now will experience depression in their lifetime. I hate to state the obvious but those are depressing rates!!
According to the stats provided bye the National Alliance for Mental Illness :
1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year
1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year
50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24
Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-14
The causes of depression are vast and complex. An elephant in the room that we never seem to address very effectively is that modern populations and modern working conditions, as well as political climates, policies, and societal problems, are often the causes of depression. These include social problems such as racism, sexism, and other oppressive beliefs. Social problems can be the major root of many individual and family problems.
Without acknowledging the causes of depression are often conditions the individual has very little control over, we can make it seem like getting through depression mainly involves something like a “change of attitude”. It’s silly to think of someone shouting at others “BE POSITIVE” while they are actively being abused, but this is essentially what we are saying when we focus on things the individual can do without admitting societal issues also must change. In order for our society to be a place where mental health is more easily achieved, we will have to solve problems for the collective. This may include solving problems that don’t personally affect us, but affect the greater whole.
This month we are going to talk about Depression including treatment options and hopeful outcomes for individuals. We will be sharing information to improve outcomes. But keeping it real is also important, and we don’t want to pretend that a global pandemic, economic realities, and long term social problems are not a big part of our individual struggles.
If you study those statistics above it becomes quite clear depression and mental health conditions are something that affects almost all of us. In that way, we are all in this together. From the perspective of this being a collective problem, we can begin to solve the underlying causes, and work on our individual and collective healing.
If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of Depression, seek professional help from a licensed medical professional. The information provided should never be used to diagnose Depression or delay treatment of any symptoms related to Depression.