Myths About Depression
Thursday, August 12th, 2010With depression never straying far from the media eye, whether in a popular television series, a national celebrity or on the daily news, it is far to easy to believe the misconceptions surrounding depression and mental illness. This easy to read article aims to distinguish some of the myths and explain where these come from, the truth behind them and how thinking about depression away from these myths can provide a far more effective basis on your steps to treatment.
Myth 1: Depression is just a medical disease.
This is simply not true, while modern science can only further our understanding so far it is essential to understand depression as an illness that is completely different, and so requires different treatment to say, asthma or diabetes. It is helpful to understand depression as a combination of factors including those that are social, biological and psychological. Therefore treatments that require solely on medication alone often fail and much more support and advice is needed.
Myth 2: Depression is not real medical illness.
Despite what we have stated above depression should be regarded as a medical condition, while it is not just a medical disease depression can effect not only thoughts and moods but also the body. Like a medical illness depression can have both biological and genetic causes. The key to the successful treatment of depression is to treat it with flexibility and understanding, which must occur as a balance between viewing depression as medical, but not wholly so. (more…)