Australian women talk about their experience with depression

Depression is a common illness, affecting people with very different lifestyles and backgrounds. Yet there are varying degrees of depression. Some kinds are much more incapacitating than others. Some people experience mild depression, which they recover from fairly quickly. This may happen after a divorce or during the grieving process. Mild depression can be recovered from in some cases without medication at all. Other more severe types of depression can take: medication, talking therapy or even psychiatric treatment to conquer.

A DVD was recently released by SANE Australia (the mental health charity organisation). The release covers the real life stories of Australian women in their personal battles with depressive illness.

These success stories offer hope to others still struggling to cope with depression. The survivors’ stories enforce the principles that with determination, and the right treatment and support, more people will be able to defeat the potentially life threatening illness in future.

The Survivors

Today, the women telling their stories are the picture of health. Looking at them now, you would never know that they once suffered with depressive illness. The important message being communicated is that: depression by no means defines a person.  It is a temporary condition which many people successfully recover from. For those who are sufferers, the survivors advise that if you don’t find the right therapist for you straight away, keep on looking until you do.

An interesting twist to the stories is that in some cases, before making the decision to get help, none of their friends or family even suspected they were ill.  Sufferers often become accustomed to hiding the illness. The issue only becomes apparent when they decide to get help, or are too ill to get out of bed.

The Importance of Getting Help

The stories have been documented in the hope that they will provide a source of strength for depression sufferers, during their recovery. It is extremely common for people who have the illness to have family members who have also suffered with it. Some of the survivors tell of how they lost loved ones to suicide.

The first step in recovering from depression is to admit that there is a problem and seek help. Some people choose to take anti-depressant medication, while at the same time having regular therapy sessions with a psychologist. A psychologist is able to help you develop coping strategies for dealing with difficult emotions.

SANE Australia

SANE Australia focuses charity on helping people diagnosed with mental illness to lead more fulfilling lives. The experts at SANE understand that there are often serious health risks associated with a mental illness like depression, not only the risk of suicide. Vital to the charity’s agenda, is the: “suicide prevention campaign”.  This is an important issue today as many people living with a mental illness of any kind are more at risk from suicide, than those who do not have a mental illness at all.

Talking it Through

If you have concerns about yourself or a family member who may be suffering from depression, you can contact your family doctor to talk things over with them. They may offer medication to help to treat the symptoms. You can also make contact with your local psychiatric team.

If you live in the greater Sydney area, and you feel you need professional help with these sorts of issues, you can contact for qualified assistance and someone to talk to you. You can also contact the SANE Australia Helpline during office hours, for confidential advice and support. A special urgent support line is available 24/7 for young people under the age of 25 needing advice about mental health problems. To learn about psychological talking therapies for treating depression, visit The Australian Psychological Society website.