Monday, February 01, 2010

Depression Is The Leading Cause Of Illness Worldwide

Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression.  Although not as many people develop SAD they do regular depression, it is still important to keep in mind that SAD falls into the same category of depression sufferers.  And, today we are learning that depression is the leading cause of illness and disability worldwide.  Therefore, if you suffer from SAD, you fall into this category.

Decreasing Depression

According to experts that work with mental health patients and specialize in treating these patients, decreasing the prevalence of depression is a prime focus for the 21st century.  The reason for this is because by 2020 depression becomes the second highest cause of disability (cardiovascular disease being the first).  Apparently, 25 percent of the people visiting their doctor about depression have major issues.  And, of these people, many experience relapses.  The problem with depression is that the medical community knows how to treat it, but they do not know how to prevent it from recurring and predict/prevent the onset of depression.  In the case of a heart attack or stroke, the situation is different.  We can predict what might happen.

What This Means For You

Since depression is hard to prevent and even predict, the patient needs to take responsibility.  Ultimately it is their choice to recognize that something has changed and choose to do something about it.