There are various times in your life where you will feel low, blue or unhappy, which is a normal thing. Clinical depression, however, is more than that because of its severity and/or frequency. When the feelings get to a point where they are disrupting your social functioning and daily life and have lasted for more than two weeks, then it could be a sign that you’re clinically depressed.

Brenda was diagnosed with clinical depression and she explained what this meant in her life. She felt there was a huge stigma when it came to depression, and she felt this was because it was mental illness. Brenda feels that people would have been more sympathetic had it been something physical.

As much as Brenda loves her family and friends she has felt largely unsupported by them due to the nature of her illness. She feels that they do not understand that depression is an actual illness, although suffering with depression has severely disrupted Brenda’s life over the last seven years.

Brenda remembers her first bout of strong depressive feelings when she was about 19 years old, around the time her parents’ marriage broke down. She recalls feeling really low but just saw it as an obvious reaction to what was happening at the time, but as the days turned into weeks and then months and she still felt no better she began to question whether it was a normal reaction.

She found getting out of bed each morning a challenge and was constantly tired no matter how early she went to sleep. There was a noticeable weight gain and problems concentrating, which began to affect her studies, and she was constantly crying.

There was no longer any socialising with friends as she just couldn’t face being around anyone, and she admitted there were many times she prayed for God to allow her suffering to be over. She had no idea what was happening to her and no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t shake it off. Everyone telling Brenda that she needed to pull herself together, but she just didn’t know how and had no choice but to continue feeling helpless and hopeless.

One day, while looking through a magazine, she came across an article entitled ‘Are you depressed?’ In the article there was a checklist that stated that if a person has four or more of the symptoms mentioned they could be depressed, and that they should seek help from a mental health care provider. Brenda had six of the symptoms. She says that after reading the article she cried as she finally realised that there was a reason for the way she was feeling.

Brenda sought help from her GP, who recommended counselling, which she says has been helpful, and although over the years she has had many episodes of depression, she feels she is at a point now where she is able to manage it well.

Brenda explained that it took her a while to accept her diagnosis, but especially not to feel ashamed of it especially being of African descent where mental illness is frowned upon if at all accepted.

Clinical depression is not a weakness but a serious medical condition that affects your mood, thoughts, body and behaviour. If left untreated, the symptoms can last for weeks, months or even years. Getting help is a sign of strength and there is definitely nothing to be ashamed of.

Barbara Addo