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Anyone who has ever battled the big “D” will easily relate with the title. The big “D”, that is Depression, seems to be growing at a phenomenal, scary rate over the past few years. There used to be a time when it was considered ‘mental illness’ and there was embarrassment, humiliation, and hopelessness connected with it. For anyone who is facing treatment, congratulate yourself on the awareness and the fact that you love yourself enough to want to feel good! Once that first step is reached, it is hoped for best results. For anyone who has been through it, only you can understand and be there for others dealing with it. For those of you who may not understand, I hope my article will open some doors and answer some questions so frequently neglected! Maybe you or someone you love can be reached before darkness falls.

Depression is paralyzing. It stops people in their tracks, life seems bleak, black, hopeless, and although they keep moving forward physically, they are barely living emotionally. It is difficult to focus on the positive, there is tendency to shut out loved ones, lose appetite, sleep poorly, neglect the basic self-care needs, cry uncontrollably, act irrationally, lose oneself emotionally, physically, spiritually, and of course mentally. There are different types of depression, as well as different stages. Winter seems to be the worse time of year for people who suffer seasonal depression. On a positive note with that, the days are getting longer now! Everyone experiences down swings in their moods but when these feelings are severe and last for extended periods of time, it becomes a clinical illness but very treatable.

Here are a few alarming statistics taken from the Canadian Mental Health Association. In any given year 100,000 people will suffer from depression, 50,000 of which are Major Depressive Disorder. 8.3% of the adolescent population (grade 7-12) will show signs of Major Depression. 90% of suicides involve mental disorders (untreated depression). 60,000 people will contemplate suicide; 10,000 will act on the thought with some form of suicidal behavior. In a given year, 19% of high school students contemplate suicide; 12.7% make plans to carry through; 2.5% make the attempt requiring medical attention. Saskatchewan rates highest per capita in attempted suicides compared to the rest of Canada. In 1995-1999 an average of 135 suicides were carried through.

If you have lost a loved one to suicide, you can understand the major concern connected with this growing issue, and the pain it leaves behind. I personally have, and no matter how much time passes, I will always and forever ask the questions, and never find the answers. You beat yourself up thinking you could have/should have done more. I realize now, it would have happened in spite of anyone’s intervention. . Knowing what I know now, and in retrospect, maybe the time I could have reached out best would have been in the earlier stages of his illness, maybe if he would have had some awareness, he too would have reached for help before he slipped into the next stages. Maybe it not about rescuing another human being from himself or herself, but just being there when they need you. Maybe I was not meant to do more, only God knows the answers; there are no maybes about that!

Depression is an illness, no less real than diabetes or heart disease, they are not signs of personal flaw, it is not something you can just snap out of, it is not something to be ashamed of, it is treatable and everyone has a right to live in a healthy state of mind. The sooner the awareness, the diagnosis and the treatment, the better the chances are of not going Beyond the Blues!