Escalating depression crisis is costing Britain £11bn a year

"Depression Alliance" is a lobby group funded by big pharma hence their emphasis on treating depression as disease rather than a symptom, insisting "depression" just happens (usually defined as endogenous depression) and downgrading all real causes such as financial, relationship and employment difficulties to mere "triggers".

The reality is much more complex. We have growing expectations of material wealth and hedonistic fulfilment, i.e. we need greater and greater doses of fun and entertainment to keep us stable and seem increasingly incapable of just being happy to live. Advertising, social networking and media role models make us feel inept unless we have perfect bodies, scores of friends, white teeth and are always giggling. Why can't we just be ourselves? Why do we have to keep pretending to be "positive" rather than expressing our feelings frankly?

"How are you today, sir?"

"I'm doing great. I really enjoyed a Hollywood blockbuster movie on my 80" plasma TV screen and having 20 of my 2000 Facebook friends around for a barbie last night on the balcony of my £2 million riverside apartment. I enjoyed exilarating sex with three separate partners of diverse genders and ethnic origin this morning and am just about to book a shopping spree in Dubai on my iPhone 4S. Isn't life great. Make that a triple shot fairtrade organic caramel latte. Do you accept American Express?"

If "depression" is becoming more common then it cannot be endogenous or genetic, it must be psychosocial with possible biogenetic factors influencing susceptibility. Please read Affluenza by Oliver James. It'll get things into perspective and then consider the competitive forces out there telling you you are worthless because you fail to act as cool or be as successful as others. Our material and social expectations are way too high.

In reply to: Guest

It's good that it is being realised just how widespread and severe depression is becoming, and that it needs to be addressed, however, by putting it in monetary terms it just starts to imply that those with depression are a burden on the economy etc. Furthermore, we should be looking at ways to help those with depression not so that they can get back to work to help the economy but so that they are content or happy with their lives again. Why should it come down to money? Have we lost our morality so much that all we can think of is money? The current government is making things worse by cutting down on the amount of money spent on mental health services, and if the statistics in this report are correct then this is incredibly short sighted and stupid, because it means that more money will be lost in the long term by cutting these services, than will be saved in the short term. Additionally, the article appears to indicate that depression is predominantly caused by money worries in some way, shape or form. Of course, this is correct for some people, but large numbers of people are suffering due to depression running in their family, and other personal issues. If depression was not so stigmatised then perhaps people wouldn't be so afraid to talk about it and seek help. I am a 19 year old male, and have suffered from depression since I was 13. It runs in my family, but I have sought help and am trying my best to help myself. I attend University, and have a part time job which ends very soon. All of these things keep me going, but people are often very unwelcoming when you discuss your feelings, because they don't understand. Ultimately, "We need folk to sit and listen to what we have to say, to try and understand what we are feeling, you cannot do that by treating the symptoms and ignoring the cause." Education, about life rather than how to pass exams, is an essential tool which can help stem this problem.

That's because for the last 60 years or more we have been living an illusion of infinite material growth on a finite planet, while outsourcing most of all manufacturing and much of our farming abroad in return for services nobody really needs.
Whether you like or not, roads, railways, school, hospitals, police, prisons, social welfare and a growing surveillance bureaucracy are not free. The resources to sustain this hugely inefficient system must come from somewhere.

In reply to: Armsman

You got your income tax,value added tax,road tax,tax on fuel,cigarettes,alcohol,heating oil etc etc.And still the country is skint.We should be one of the most affluent nations on earth.....Where did all the money go?....We know the answer to that one.....Lets heal the depressed brits by exposing this corrupt government and there corporate banker buddies.....