What are Depressive Illnesses?
A person with a depressive illness cannot talk themselves into feeling good. They cannot snap themselves out of it. Suffering or not suffering from these illnesses does not have anything to do with a person’s willpower. Many times, society assumes a person suffering from depression is just lazy, or lacks motivation to get his or her life together. One might be labeled as simply having a behavior problem. This simply is not true.
To determine whether a depressive illness is present or not, a thorough medical examination is essential. Many drugs used in the treatment of other illnesses, such as cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure or arthritis, as well as oral contraceptives and some antibiotics, can trigger depressive illnesses.
Long-term or sudden illnesses can also bring on or exacerbate a depressive illness. And neurological disorders, hormonal disorders, infections, and tumors can mimic the symptoms of depressive illnesses or anxiety. If all medical tests come out negative, or if chronic physical pain does not respond to treatment, there is a strong possibility a depressive illness exists.
Depression is the most common, most misdiagnosed illness. In fact, in America over 17 million people suffer from depressive illnesses in any given year, in Australia it is estimated that 1 in 5 people suffer from them.