Today is R U OK? Day, a national day of action aimed at preventing suicide by encouraging people to ask the question ‘Are you okay?’ of friends, colleagues and loved ones. By encouraging all to ask this simple question, we hope to reduce the emotional and social isolation experienced by so many of us and create a community in which people are unafraid to use their voice to express their troubles.
Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses experienced by young and old.
We all know that adults suffer from depression but it is very sad to see quite a lot of our teenagers having to go through depression at such a young age.
Everybody feels sad or 'down' from time to time. It’s a normal reaction to unpleasant or upsetting events. Usually within a few days or a couple of weeks, we start to feel better and our mood returns to normal.
Clinical depression is different. People experiencing clinical depression have lost the ability to function as they normally would in their home life or at work. They often find that strategies they normally use to lift their mood don’t work. This loss of energy and low mood makes it hard to cope with day-to-day life and can also put pressure on relationships.
Clinical depression is a serious illness and will often require professional help from a doctor.
Clinical depression is nothing to be ashamed of and it’s always worthwhile to seek help if you think you might have clinical depression.
Help stop little problems becoming bigger by connecting with someone you care about and asking them, ‘Are you ok?’
You don’t have to be an expert to support someone going through a tough time. You just need to be able to listen to their concerns without judgment and take the time to follow up with them.
[Resource & Information from www.ruokday.com]
