Making even the smallest decisions can be agonising. It can affect not just the mind but also the body – I start to stumble when I walk, or become unable to walk in a straight line. I am more clumsy and accident-prone. In depression you become, in your head, two-dimensional – like a drawing rather than a living, breathing creature. You cannot conjure your actual personality, which you can remember only vaguely, in a theoretical sense. You live in, or close to, a state of perpetual fear, although you are not sure what it is you are afraid of. The writer William Styron called it a “brainstorm”, which is much more accurate than “unhappiness”
There is a heavy, leaden feeling in your chest, rather as when someone you love dearly has died; but no one has – except, perhaps, you. You feel acutely alone. It is commonly described as being like viewing the world through a sheet of plate glass; it would be more accurate to say a sheet of thick, semi-opaque ice.
Read the rest of Tim Lotts powerful account of what depression is like here. It's Depression Awareness Week - there's a good chance you'll be working with, queueing with, even living with someone with depression today. The idea is not to get everybody down, it's to bring depression into the open so it's understood, accepted, and not treated as weird.
Showing posts with label depression. Show all posts
Showing posts with label depression. Show all posts
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Depression: this is 'courageous', but it shouldn't be.
...I am going to talk about what I know – depression and anxiety. I find it hard to fully describe what happens in my brain because honestly, I don’t know what is normal and what is not, but I will give it a go.
Getting up in the morning is the hardest part of any day, not because I am lazy, but because waking up hurts. I am so tired every minute of every day, that there is always a need for more sleep, but, I have to get up so I do. This is the first battle I face each day....
Part of the point of Mental Health awareness week is that we no longer have to use words like 'courageous' for people speaking about what it's like to be mentally ill. After all, if someone describes what it's like to have the flu', or a broken leg, we don't call them courageous for describing it.
Update: Katherine Welby has written for the Telegraph too, worth reading. And a piece from the CofE comms people about the church and mental health, and how we can do a better job supporting people.
Update: Katherine Welby has written for the Telegraph too, worth reading. And a piece from the CofE comms people about the church and mental health, and how we can do a better job supporting people.
Friday, April 18, 2014
Bent out of shape
Sad to hear that Jonathan Trott is having another break from cricket, after a recurrence of his stress illness:
Stress and anxiety do not discriminate, however, and Trott appears to have decided that the man bent of out shape by cricket is not the man he wants to be. With a young family to consider, he seems to have come to the conclusion that on-field success in no longer worth the sacrifices required.
It's hard enough to come back from a public collapse, without having a running commentary in the media and paparazzi hiding in your bushes.
The phrase 'bent out of shape' struck me. Public roles do that to people, sometimes your mental or physical health gets bent, sometimes it's your moral compass (politicians?), sometimes it's your judgement under pressure, sometimes it's not you but your family and the shape of their lives. I'm not sure if Trott's 'come to the conclusion that on-field success is no longer worth the sacrifices', or just found that he is no longer personally capable of making them at the moment.
It sounds all too similar to what's happening to clergy -
My husband is becoming bitter and demoralised. He is an incredibly gifted, spiritual man, but the reason he joined the church is becoming less and less clear, to him and to me
It wouldn't take long to name you a reasonable list of clergy (notably, mostly in their 40s and early 50s) who have burnt out, dropped out, been found out, or otherwise found the relentless pressure too much. I heard of a hard working vicar, younger than me, who was recently hospitalised with a suspected heart problem. In recent years a couple of local clergy have dropped out of active parish ministry (getting an undeserved scourging in the tabloids was a major factor in one case). I was in a meeting a few weeks ago, all dog collars, where I was the only one not on anti-depressants: an odd thing to hold against the fact that we have higher rates of job satisfaction than anyone else.
Elsewhere in the diocese and the CofE some clergy have had to stand down after falling into sin. That's another way that people can respond to pressure. An 'Adam. and Ellie' moment perhaps isn't that far away for some of us.
This shouldn't be a surprise, Christian faith is about carrying a cross, the world bends Jesus out of shape and it will do the same to us. But we can't simply shove this all in the box of 'suffering with Christ' - Trott has been bent out of shape by a combination of public pressure, his own high standards, and the relentless demands put upon him by international cricket. (Vicars: insert 'parish' for 'cricket') There's a sense that he has lost the joy of the game. It's 'for the joy set before him' that Jesus endures the cross. We need the joy to get through the Good Fridays. But scanning the battlefield around me, I'm now seriously asking the question of how I'll manage another 20 years of this without joining the casualty list at some stage.
Stress and anxiety do not discriminate, however, and Trott appears to have decided that the man bent of out shape by cricket is not the man he wants to be. With a young family to consider, he seems to have come to the conclusion that on-field success in no longer worth the sacrifices required.
It's hard enough to come back from a public collapse, without having a running commentary in the media and paparazzi hiding in your bushes.
The phrase 'bent out of shape' struck me. Public roles do that to people, sometimes your mental or physical health gets bent, sometimes it's your moral compass (politicians?), sometimes it's your judgement under pressure, sometimes it's not you but your family and the shape of their lives. I'm not sure if Trott's 'come to the conclusion that on-field success is no longer worth the sacrifices', or just found that he is no longer personally capable of making them at the moment.
It sounds all too similar to what's happening to clergy -
My husband is becoming bitter and demoralised. He is an incredibly gifted, spiritual man, but the reason he joined the church is becoming less and less clear, to him and to me
It wouldn't take long to name you a reasonable list of clergy (notably, mostly in their 40s and early 50s) who have burnt out, dropped out, been found out, or otherwise found the relentless pressure too much. I heard of a hard working vicar, younger than me, who was recently hospitalised with a suspected heart problem. In recent years a couple of local clergy have dropped out of active parish ministry (getting an undeserved scourging in the tabloids was a major factor in one case). I was in a meeting a few weeks ago, all dog collars, where I was the only one not on anti-depressants: an odd thing to hold against the fact that we have higher rates of job satisfaction than anyone else.
Elsewhere in the diocese and the CofE some clergy have had to stand down after falling into sin. That's another way that people can respond to pressure. An 'Adam. and Ellie' moment perhaps isn't that far away for some of us.
This shouldn't be a surprise, Christian faith is about carrying a cross, the world bends Jesus out of shape and it will do the same to us. But we can't simply shove this all in the box of 'suffering with Christ' - Trott has been bent out of shape by a combination of public pressure, his own high standards, and the relentless demands put upon him by international cricket. (Vicars: insert 'parish' for 'cricket') There's a sense that he has lost the joy of the game. It's 'for the joy set before him' that Jesus endures the cross. We need the joy to get through the Good Fridays. But scanning the battlefield around me, I'm now seriously asking the question of how I'll manage another 20 years of this without joining the casualty list at some stage.
Thursday, February 06, 2014
Time to Talk
Every night I would check my alarm clock 10, 15 times to make sure that I'd set it to 'on'. Every morning I'd wake with a feeling of dread about the walk to work, and I'd get on my knees to ask for strength. Relief that the working day was over would quickly be overtaken by anxiety about the next day waiting round the corner. Once on the way back from work I stopped in at the local co-op corner shop for some food. I just stood there, unable to choose what to take off the shelves, overwhelmed by the choice. I put the basket down and left without buying anything.
A few years later I sat in the corner of our front room in tears, trying to explain to the kids why daddy was sad. It took a couple of other work colleagues to notice I was looking rough and to sit me down for coffee and help me to talk about why I wasn't my usual self.
I'm blessed, I've not had any deep or longstanding issues with depression, anxiety, or other forms of mental illness. I've had the mental equivalent of bruising or a small crack. But I know that talking to people about what was going on was a massive part of helping me to get through it.
Today is Time to Talk day, 24 hours in which to start conversations about mental health, raise awareness and share the message that mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, neither is talking about it.
Is there someone you know who's been looking more down and upset lately. Who's taken to avoiding church, the school playground, their usual circle of friends. Who struggles with the greeting 'how are you'? Maybe they could do with a coffee too.
Because mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, but it is something we don't talk about enough.
A few years later I sat in the corner of our front room in tears, trying to explain to the kids why daddy was sad. It took a couple of other work colleagues to notice I was looking rough and to sit me down for coffee and help me to talk about why I wasn't my usual self.
I'm blessed, I've not had any deep or longstanding issues with depression, anxiety, or other forms of mental illness. I've had the mental equivalent of bruising or a small crack. But I know that talking to people about what was going on was a massive part of helping me to get through it.
Today is Time to Talk day, 24 hours in which to start conversations about mental health, raise awareness and share the message that mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, neither is talking about it.
Is there someone you know who's been looking more down and upset lately. Who's taken to avoiding church, the school playground, their usual circle of friends. Who struggles with the greeting 'how are you'? Maybe they could do with a coffee too.
Because mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, but it is something we don't talk about enough.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Mind and Soul
Somewhere there is bound to be a study on the optimum number of e-newsletters it's possible to receive, before the information overload means that you may as well not receive any at all.
At the weekend, an update arrived from Mind and Soul, a superb resource on Christian faith and mental health, bringing together articles, conference presentations, events, online directory etc., an excellent way to gather all the relevant material in one place. What stuck out was one vicars account of his trouble sleeping (which struck a chord) and this extremely helpful series by Adrian Warnock on mental health, including several posts on specific conditions (depression, schizophrenia etc.)
Though a few of us have been plugging away at this for a while now, there seems to be an extra level of interest among Christians in mental health issues, partly propelled by Katherine Welby's courageous admission of her own depression, and the encouraging levels of sympathy and support that resulted.
Next month the chaplain of our local mental health unit, plus one of the nurses, are coming to take a service on Christianity and mental health. It's probably the first time the subject has been overtly addressed in our church. I hope and pray that for those who suffer, it's encouraging and supportive, and for those who don't, it helps us understand and show informed Christian compassion.
Mental health, depression, and related issues probably affects more of us, and in more profound ways, than Europe, immigration, taxation and press regulation. It's something every church, and every Christian, should be clued up on. Not just to spare sufferers the dreadful experience of crass 'prayer ministry', but to aim much higher, that the church can be a place of understanding, support and acceptance.
At the weekend, an update arrived from Mind and Soul, a superb resource on Christian faith and mental health, bringing together articles, conference presentations, events, online directory etc., an excellent way to gather all the relevant material in one place. What stuck out was one vicars account of his trouble sleeping (which struck a chord) and this extremely helpful series by Adrian Warnock on mental health, including several posts on specific conditions (depression, schizophrenia etc.)
Though a few of us have been plugging away at this for a while now, there seems to be an extra level of interest among Christians in mental health issues, partly propelled by Katherine Welby's courageous admission of her own depression, and the encouraging levels of sympathy and support that resulted.
Next month the chaplain of our local mental health unit, plus one of the nurses, are coming to take a service on Christianity and mental health. It's probably the first time the subject has been overtly addressed in our church. I hope and pray that for those who suffer, it's encouraging and supportive, and for those who don't, it helps us understand and show informed Christian compassion.
Mental health, depression, and related issues probably affects more of us, and in more profound ways, than Europe, immigration, taxation and press regulation. It's something every church, and every Christian, should be clued up on. Not just to spare sufferers the dreadful experience of crass 'prayer ministry', but to aim much higher, that the church can be a place of understanding, support and acceptance.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Everything Is Not Fine, But That's Fine
Great post from Katharine Welby on depression, God and the church
Reading the psalms (that oh so regularly quoted ‘you can yell at God, look’ book) I find that I don’t need to have hope every second of the day. In my hopelessness I just need to acknowledge that God is bigger than my illness and he will come through – eventually. Not always easy, but always possible. I go back to Job in the bible, again an inspiration, a man in despair, who maintained trust and faith, but not in a squeaky clean ‘all is fine’ kind of way. In fact, I don’t know that I have yet encountered a single person from the bible who did have a ‘everything is fine’ kind of life. So why do we feel we need to?
The church is the place where hope can be found, but this is only possible if the church is willing to accept that life is not always rosy. The stigma around mental health illness – of any kind, must be eradicated. The bible is full of people who screw up, who get miserable, angry, who hurt and who weep. Even Jesus, in the garden of Gethsemane found life a little too much to bear and pleaded with God.
My hope comes from an understanding that life is not easy or straightforward. It is complex and frightening, but I have a God who will stand with me every step. It is just a shame that so often his people will not.
We've got a local mental health chaplain coming to speak at church in June about mental health and Christian faith. I long for the church to be a place where God's people will stand with the mentally ill every step of the way, and love them unconditionally.
Thanks to Richard Frank on Facebook for the link.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Online Mental Health Resources for Churches
One good thing to come out of the recent synod was a new online mental health resource called Mental Health Matters. Echurch blog has a helpful summary of what's on the site, and it looks good. In a brief browse I came across papers on mental health and the healing ministry, and examples of local engagement with mental health, overcoming the stigma of mental illness etc.
Also worth a look is Mind and Soul, which has regular conferences, and there is lots of helpful stuff on there. I was most interested in a course they've developed 'Living Life to the Full With God', a course for those with anxiety and depression, which can be run locally or online. There seem to be an increasing number of nationally produced, locally deliverable courses available to churches, but this is the first one I've come across that deals with Mental Health. Holy Trinity Brompton have a 'dealing with depression' course, but as far as I know that's not available as a resource pack for other churches.
Also worth a look is Mind and Soul, which has regular conferences, and there is lots of helpful stuff on there. I was most interested in a course they've developed 'Living Life to the Full With God', a course for those with anxiety and depression, which can be run locally or online. There seem to be an increasing number of nationally produced, locally deliverable courses available to churches, but this is the first one I've come across that deals with Mental Health. Holy Trinity Brompton have a 'dealing with depression' course, but as far as I know that's not available as a resource pack for other churches.
Tuesday, October 09, 2012
I Had a Black Dog - animation, for World Mental Health Day
To coincide with World Mental Health Day, the World Health Organization have produced an animated video about depression. The short video by Matthew Johnstone, who has written, illustrated and narrated it, features a black dog which serves as a metaphor for the mental disorder. Depression varies in severity, with episodes being classed as mild, moderate or severe.
According to the WHO, depression affects more than 350 million people of all ages and from different backgrounds. Even though there are effective treatments for depression, less than half of those affected across the world receive these treatments.
more hereThe cartoon is based on the book 'I had a black dog' which is a beautiful, sad, fabulously clear and powerful explanation of what it's like to have depression.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Gold in them thar blogs
A superb post at Quarentia, on how one church tackled the subject of depression, some good ideas, resources and creative tips.
No congregation, no problem! Very funny piece from Edward Green, for anyone who's ever used a 'no organist, no problem' CD in their church. And for those who haven't.
Churches having an impact on their communties, via God and Politics. The original Big Society.
No congregation, no problem! Very funny piece from Edward Green, for anyone who's ever used a 'no organist, no problem' CD in their church. And for those who haven't.
Churches having an impact on their communties, via God and Politics. The original Big Society.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
MPs and Mental Health - in praise of politicians
Whilst David Cameron had his day before the judge last week, his fellow MPs were doing something quite amazing. During a debate on mental health, several of them spoke in public for the first time of their struggles with mental illness - depression, OCD and the like.
Kevan Jones, MP for Durham North, said he had "thought very long and hard" about whether to speak publicly about his mental health problems.
"In 1996 I suffered from quite a deep depression related to work issues and other things going on in my life at that moment," he said in the Commons.
"Like a lot of men, you try and deal with it yourself. You don't talk to people. I just hope you realise, Mr Speaker, what I'm saying is very difficult right now."
He said it was important to talk about mental health in Parliament because "we are... in politics designed to admit that somehow if you admit fault or frailty you are going to be looked upon in a disparaging way, in terms of both the electorate and your peers as well".
He "didn't know" whether his admission would affect how people viewed him or his career prospects but added: "I actually don't care now because if it helps other people who have suffered from depression in the past - good."
Full marks to our politician for this one, it's great to hear of the positive feedback they've received, and it's starting to feel like things are changing in our attitudes to mental illness, that we're becoming more understanding and sympathetic. A Private Members Bill is due soon to tackle discrimination against people with mental health conditions.
Channel 4 have a season of programmes on mental health coming up, something which the BBC did a couple of years ago.
But all this has to be seen in the light of yesterdays report into mental health services in the UK, which was scathing in it description of what's offered to the mentally ill at the moment. I was startled by the stat that half of all ill-health in the under 65s is mental illness, and the report claims that 3/4 are not getting the proper treatment. Though sadly that's not surprising - my experience at local level is that GPs are far less clued up on mental illness than they are on physical illness, and local specialist services are under-resourced. So all of the above is a start, but there is a long way to go.
Kevan Jones, MP for Durham North, said he had "thought very long and hard" about whether to speak publicly about his mental health problems.
"In 1996 I suffered from quite a deep depression related to work issues and other things going on in my life at that moment," he said in the Commons.
"Like a lot of men, you try and deal with it yourself. You don't talk to people. I just hope you realise, Mr Speaker, what I'm saying is very difficult right now."
He said it was important to talk about mental health in Parliament because "we are... in politics designed to admit that somehow if you admit fault or frailty you are going to be looked upon in a disparaging way, in terms of both the electorate and your peers as well".
He "didn't know" whether his admission would affect how people viewed him or his career prospects but added: "I actually don't care now because if it helps other people who have suffered from depression in the past - good."
Full marks to our politician for this one, it's great to hear of the positive feedback they've received, and it's starting to feel like things are changing in our attitudes to mental illness, that we're becoming more understanding and sympathetic. A Private Members Bill is due soon to tackle discrimination against people with mental health conditions.
Channel 4 have a season of programmes on mental health coming up, something which the BBC did a couple of years ago.
But all this has to be seen in the light of yesterdays report into mental health services in the UK, which was scathing in it description of what's offered to the mentally ill at the moment. I was startled by the stat that half of all ill-health in the under 65s is mental illness, and the report claims that 3/4 are not getting the proper treatment. Though sadly that's not surprising - my experience at local level is that GPs are far less clued up on mental illness than they are on physical illness, and local specialist services are under-resourced. So all of the above is a start, but there is a long way to go.
Thursday, May 03, 2012
Not You, Surely?
I felt ashamed of the illness as I’d had such an amazing childhood – what did I have to be depressed about?! I also felt frightened, frightened that people would treat me differently and frightened that from here on in, I’d always be defined as ‘someone with depression’. The fear I felt was tangible.
It is fair to say that mostly my fears were unfounded. Being open about it all meant that I had a new found freedom. I could be honest. All those little excuses I’d made in the past to try to explain away my behaviour, were now a thing of the past.
Yes, there were some who questioned it. ‘How do YOU have depression? You’re so bubbly and outgoing.’ Along with ‘I don’t believe you have depression, you achieve so much.’
I may have seemed bubbly and outgoing on the days I actually got dressed and made it out of the house. But it was an act and it was exhausting.
read the rest here. Part of Mental Health and Politics Week at Total Politics. Roughly one in every 5 people you meet today will have had, or currently has, struggles with depression. Can you guess which ones? Would they feel they could tell you?
It is fair to say that mostly my fears were unfounded. Being open about it all meant that I had a new found freedom. I could be honest. All those little excuses I’d made in the past to try to explain away my behaviour, were now a thing of the past.
Yes, there were some who questioned it. ‘How do YOU have depression? You’re so bubbly and outgoing.’ Along with ‘I don’t believe you have depression, you achieve so much.’
I may have seemed bubbly and outgoing on the days I actually got dressed and made it out of the house. But it was an act and it was exhausting.
read the rest here. Part of Mental Health and Politics Week at Total Politics. Roughly one in every 5 people you meet today will have had, or currently has, struggles with depression. Can you guess which ones? Would they feel they could tell you?
Monday, April 30, 2012
Mental Health and Politics
Total Politics have started a week of blogging on Mental Health and Politics, which I'll be following avidly.
This week, the Total Politics blog will be publishing a whole range of articles addressing the issue of mental health in politics. In the course of a year, one in four people will experience some kind of mental health problem, yet in the political arena, the issue is discussed relatively little. I wanted to do something to change that.
The stigma attached to admitting to a mental health problem - depression or anxiety are the most common ones - is great at the best of times, but for those who work in the high pressure environment of professional politics, it can be insurmountable. At the same time, we look to our politicians for leadership on improving things for those who suffer from these problems. When it comes to something like entrepreneurship, we value legislative contributions from MPs with direct experience of setting up their own businesses, but would we feel the same if a politician cited their own struggle with depression as the inspiration for a new scheme or law? Or would we question their fitness to continue in their job? We can only wonder.
This week, the Total Politics blog will be publishing a whole range of articles addressing the issue of mental health in politics. In the course of a year, one in four people will experience some kind of mental health problem, yet in the political arena, the issue is discussed relatively little. I wanted to do something to change that.
The stigma attached to admitting to a mental health problem - depression or anxiety are the most common ones - is great at the best of times, but for those who work in the high pressure environment of professional politics, it can be insurmountable. At the same time, we look to our politicians for leadership on improving things for those who suffer from these problems. When it comes to something like entrepreneurship, we value legislative contributions from MPs with direct experience of setting up their own businesses, but would we feel the same if a politician cited their own struggle with depression as the inspiration for a new scheme or law? Or would we question their fitness to continue in their job? We can only wonder.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Depression Awareness Week.
Doing the rounds on Facebook - "Hard to explain to someone who has no clue. Or doesn't believe you. It's a daily struggle being in pain or feeling sick on the inside while you look fine on the outside. Please put this as your status for at least 1 hour if you or someone you know has an invisible mental illness (Anxiety, Bipolar, Depression, Schizophrenia etc ) Never judge what you don't understand."
It's Depression Awareness Week. what is depression? It's not just feeling down -
The word 'depression' is used to describe everyday feelings of low mood which can affect us all from time to time. Feeling sad or fed up is a normal reaction to experiences that are upsetting, stressful or difficult; those feelings will usually pass.
If you are affected by depression, you are not 'just' sad or upset. You have an illness which means that intense feeling of persistent sadness, helplessness and hopelessness are accompanied by physical effects such as sleeplessness, a loss of energy, or physical aches and pains.
Sometimes people may not realise how depressed they are, especially if they have been feeling the same for a long time, if they have been trying to cope with their depression by keeping themselves busy, or if their depressive symptoms are more physical than emotional.
Here is a list of the most common symptoms of depression. As a general rule, if you have experienced four or more of these symptoms, for most of the day nearly every day, for over two weeks, then you should seek help.
◦Tiredness and loss of energy
◦Persistent sadness
◦Loss of self-confidence and self-esteem
◦Difficulty concentrating
◦Not being able to enjoy things that are usually pleasurable or interesting
◦Undue feelings of guilt or worthlessness
◦Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness
◦Sleeping problems - difficulties in getting off to sleep or waking up much earlier than usual
◦Avoiding other people, sometimes even your close friends
◦Finding it hard to function at work/college/school
◦Loss of appetite
◦Loss of sex drive and/ or sexual problems
◦Physical aches and pains
◦Thinking about suicide and death
◦Self-harm
more here.
A Resource for Spiritual and Pastoral Care is a superb free online resource with lots of helpful stuff in it - templates for training and awareness at a local level, resources for worship, fact sheets on mental health conditions, list and descriptions of resource organisations etc. Every church should have someone who has read and engaged with this document.
And see this, on questions asked by Christians about mental health.
Update: by the way, just because one 'evangelical Christian' thinks this, doesn't mean we all do.
It's Depression Awareness Week. what is depression? It's not just feeling down -
The word 'depression' is used to describe everyday feelings of low mood which can affect us all from time to time. Feeling sad or fed up is a normal reaction to experiences that are upsetting, stressful or difficult; those feelings will usually pass.
If you are affected by depression, you are not 'just' sad or upset. You have an illness which means that intense feeling of persistent sadness, helplessness and hopelessness are accompanied by physical effects such as sleeplessness, a loss of energy, or physical aches and pains.
Sometimes people may not realise how depressed they are, especially if they have been feeling the same for a long time, if they have been trying to cope with their depression by keeping themselves busy, or if their depressive symptoms are more physical than emotional.
Here is a list of the most common symptoms of depression. As a general rule, if you have experienced four or more of these symptoms, for most of the day nearly every day, for over two weeks, then you should seek help.
◦Tiredness and loss of energy
◦Persistent sadness
◦Loss of self-confidence and self-esteem
◦Difficulty concentrating
◦Not being able to enjoy things that are usually pleasurable or interesting
◦Undue feelings of guilt or worthlessness
◦Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness
◦Sleeping problems - difficulties in getting off to sleep or waking up much earlier than usual
◦Avoiding other people, sometimes even your close friends
◦Finding it hard to function at work/college/school
◦Loss of appetite
◦Loss of sex drive and/ or sexual problems
◦Physical aches and pains
◦Thinking about suicide and death
◦Self-harm
more here.
A Resource for Spiritual and Pastoral Care is a superb free online resource with lots of helpful stuff in it - templates for training and awareness at a local level, resources for worship, fact sheets on mental health conditions, list and descriptions of resource organisations etc. Every church should have someone who has read and engaged with this document.
And see this, on questions asked by Christians about mental health.
Update: by the way, just because one 'evangelical Christian' thinks this, doesn't mean we all do.
Sunday, January 08, 2012
Depression is not a Choice
This is all over Facebook at the moment
People who think Depression is a choice, take a second to think. How would it feel to think that time is just passing by with no real reason? To feel so alone even when you are sitting in a room full of people? To have to put on a face and hide your feelings because in your mind you think no one would care anyway? To lose friends because you can’t find the strength to go out and you can’t physical......ly be ‘happy’? To cry yourself to sleep, hoping you wouldn’t wake up then when you do you are exhausted from the night before, and it all starts again? You try to hide your feelings hoping no one would notice. Now tell me why someone would choose that? Depression is an illness, not a choice.
Repost this, if you have, or you know someone who suffers from depression
As regular readers will know, this is a topic I keep coming back to. There's a lot of web campaigns and material aimed at ending stigma around mental health and depression, and rightly so.
But I have a question: how much of a stigma is there? When you're low, it can be easy to imagine that nobody will understand if you tell them about it, or that people will judge you for being depresssed or mentally ill. There's a survey here which reports both on people's experience of stigma, and their fear of it (the two are different), showing that both have a significant impact on sufferers.
See also these links at echurch blog
People who think Depression is a choice, take a second to think. How would it feel to think that time is just passing by with no real reason? To feel so alone even when you are sitting in a room full of people? To have to put on a face and hide your feelings because in your mind you think no one would care anyway? To lose friends because you can’t find the strength to go out and you can’t physical......ly be ‘happy’? To cry yourself to sleep, hoping you wouldn’t wake up then when you do you are exhausted from the night before, and it all starts again? You try to hide your feelings hoping no one would notice. Now tell me why someone would choose that? Depression is an illness, not a choice.
Repost this, if you have, or you know someone who suffers from depression
As regular readers will know, this is a topic I keep coming back to. There's a lot of web campaigns and material aimed at ending stigma around mental health and depression, and rightly so.
But I have a question: how much of a stigma is there? When you're low, it can be easy to imagine that nobody will understand if you tell them about it, or that people will judge you for being depresssed or mentally ill. There's a survey here which reports both on people's experience of stigma, and their fear of it (the two are different), showing that both have a significant impact on sufferers.
See also these links at echurch blog
Saturday, December 10, 2011
The Truth about Depression
I know, I keep going on about this, but the sooner we reach the day when we can as freely admit to depression and mental illness as we can to a cold, I'll stop. I promise.
In the meantime, please read Daydreamer
Yesterday I felt as low as at almost any time in my life and was very aware that somehow a way of climbing out of the pit was necessary before it became too difficult even to attempt.
After a night awake, to get ready for church was nearly impossible, but, knowing it might just make the difference I did so,
The church was empty when I arrived, decorated for Christmas and looking beautiful and I hated it. Felt like howling aloud but hearing footsteps quickly started to 'robe up'. As more people arrived, and we had the choir run-through I thought, "I know the anthem better than I thought".
A tiny, tiny glimmer of satisfaction, but enough to get me through the service to half-way......
In the meantime, please read Daydreamer
Yesterday I felt as low as at almost any time in my life and was very aware that somehow a way of climbing out of the pit was necessary before it became too difficult even to attempt.
After a night awake, to get ready for church was nearly impossible, but, knowing it might just make the difference I did so,
The church was empty when I arrived, decorated for Christmas and looking beautiful and I hated it. Felt like howling aloud but hearing footsteps quickly started to 'robe up'. As more people arrived, and we had the choir run-through I thought, "I know the anthem better than I thought".
A tiny, tiny glimmer of satisfaction, but enough to get me through the service to half-way......
Monday, November 28, 2011
Stan Collymore on what it's like to have depression
If you've never had depression, then this vivid account by footballer Stan Collymore may help you understand a bit more about what it's like. If you have had it, then you might be able to relate to what he says. (update: Steve Tilley has drawn my attention to the blog Lets Talk About Depression, which is also worth a look)
If you're thinking 'oh no, a footballer trying to write' then don't. Just read it:
I'm typing and my brain is full,cloudy and detached but i know i need to elaborate on what i'm going through because there are so many going through this that need to know it's an illness,just an illness.Not bad,mad,crazy or weak,just ill,and that with this particular illness,for its sufferers,for family and friends who are there but feel they can't help,you can!
Patience,time,kindness and support.That's all we need.No "pull your socks up",no "get out of bed you lazy git",just acknowledge the feedback the sufferer gives,get them to go to the GP asap,and help them do the little things bit by bit.
That may seem simple but in my experience,and currently as we speak,having a bath,walking for 5 minutes in the fresh air,making a meal,all things that days before were the norm,seem alien,so friends and family can help ,just by being non judgemental,and helping in the background to get the sufferer literally back on their feet.
At an evening with Jeff Lucas and Adrian Plass last week, two of the funniest Christian communicators in the UK, both spoke about their episodes of depression. It can happen to anyone, no matter how jolly or otherwise they appear on the outside.
which sets me thinking again about whether we need a 'Blue Christmas' service in the area this year, for people who find this season particularly hard and dark. I've posted about this before (see tags) but still not done anything about it, to my shame.
(this was originally written on Saturday, since when we've had this awful news about Gary Speed. I did wonder about removing the post, but it seemed right to leave it up.)
If you're thinking 'oh no, a footballer trying to write' then don't. Just read it:
I'm typing and my brain is full,cloudy and detached but i know i need to elaborate on what i'm going through because there are so many going through this that need to know it's an illness,just an illness.Not bad,mad,crazy or weak,just ill,and that with this particular illness,for its sufferers,for family and friends who are there but feel they can't help,you can!
Patience,time,kindness and support.That's all we need.No "pull your socks up",no "get out of bed you lazy git",just acknowledge the feedback the sufferer gives,get them to go to the GP asap,and help them do the little things bit by bit.
That may seem simple but in my experience,and currently as we speak,having a bath,walking for 5 minutes in the fresh air,making a meal,all things that days before were the norm,seem alien,so friends and family can help ,just by being non judgemental,and helping in the background to get the sufferer literally back on their feet.
At an evening with Jeff Lucas and Adrian Plass last week, two of the funniest Christian communicators in the UK, both spoke about their episodes of depression. It can happen to anyone, no matter how jolly or otherwise they appear on the outside.
which sets me thinking again about whether we need a 'Blue Christmas' service in the area this year, for people who find this season particularly hard and dark. I've posted about this before (see tags) but still not done anything about it, to my shame.
(this was originally written on Saturday, since when we've had this awful news about Gary Speed. I did wonder about removing the post, but it seemed right to leave it up.)
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Party Policies on Mental Health
Mental Health is one of a whole herd of elephants in the room at this General Election. (Others include the epidemic of absent fathers, the need for an economic model based on something other than consumer credit, housing and house prices, Europe, Iraq etc.). Roughly 1 in 4 adults have an episode of depression at some point in their lives, with 36 million prescriptions for anti-depressants issued in 2008 (up 2m on 2007), and 1 in 6 adults currently medicated for mental illness.
There is both a massive personal, emotional and relational cost to all this, as well as an economic one. It's one symptom of the 'broken society' which the Conservatives seem to have forgotten about (how do you build a Big Society out of broken pieces?)
So what can 17 million mentally ill adults hope for from the next Government?
Labour: We will pioneer better mental health care and tackle the scourge of mental illness. Over the next Parliament more than 8,000 new therapists will ensure access to psychological therapy for all who need it as we seek to change our society’s attitudes to mental illness. (4:4)
we will work to reduce the number of women, young and mentally ill people in prison. (5:5)
(in a section on military policy) We will continue to strengthen mental health provision in partnership with the Combat Stress charity, and roll out our Welfare Pathway to give personnel and their families better support and advice (10:4)
reform of the GP contract to help ensure those with late-life depression and anxiety are diagnosed and supported; and better services for those with dementia and Alzheimer’s so that every area of the country has access to psychological therapy, counselling and memory clinics (6:6)
• Access to psychological therapy for those who need it. is one of 5 highlighted goals for the NHS on page 4:2, and is repeated as 'step 20' of '50 steps to a future fair for all' at the end of the manifesto.
Liberal Democrat:
We will help the NHS work better with the money it has by using the savings we have found to protect front-line services, such as cancer treatment, mental health care, maternity services, dementia care and preventive medicine. (p33)
• Prioritise dementia research within the health research and development budget. (p41)
• Improve access to counselling for people with mental health problems, by continuing the roll-out of cognitive and behavioural therapies. (p41)
Because of the rising costs of treatments and an ageing population, there will be particular pressure on services like cancer treatment, mental health care, maternity services, and dementia care; only by going through this process of finding savings elsewhere can we protect these services in the coming years (p40)
Move offenders who are drug addicts or mentally ill into more appropriate secure accommodation. (p74)
the appendix forecasts a cut in 'the economic costs of mental health problems' of £425m ni 2011-12, rising to £605m in 2014-15. (p102)
Mental health is also included in the index, and the 4 references above are all covered.
Conservative: a search for 'mental' found dozens of references to 'departmental', 'fundamental' and 'environmental'. And these..
• enable welfare-to-work providers and employers to purchase services from Mental Health Trusts; and,
• increase access to effective ‘talking’ therapies (p49)
• pilot a mental health follow-up service for those who have left the (armed) services (p107)
Update: see the 3rd comment, where our local Conservative candidate gives a bit more detail of their policies on mental health - thankyou Kevin.
Comment: mostly common ground here, and more from Labour and Libdems than the Conservatives. The frustrating thing is that much of it is about dealing with symptoms - more therapy, more dementia support, more support for forces veterans. Labour is the only party to talk about attitudes, but only does so briefly. There are structural factors in our society which contribute to mental illness: family breakup, stress, consumerism, advertising, poverty, the abolition of a weekly day of rest, etc. We've had a historic opportunity, with the debt crunch, to ask questions about the kind of society and culture we want to be. But who is asking those questions?
other links:
Mental Nurse summarises policies from Libdems & UKIP, and Labour and Conservative. Worth a look as this is someone within the mental health sector.
Discussion board links to Green party policies, and some debate.
A summary of policies at Rethink, with links to other signifiacant party policy documents.
There is both a massive personal, emotional and relational cost to all this, as well as an economic one. It's one symptom of the 'broken society' which the Conservatives seem to have forgotten about (how do you build a Big Society out of broken pieces?)
So what can 17 million mentally ill adults hope for from the next Government?
Labour: We will pioneer better mental health care and tackle the scourge of mental illness. Over the next Parliament more than 8,000 new therapists will ensure access to psychological therapy for all who need it as we seek to change our society’s attitudes to mental illness. (4:4)
we will work to reduce the number of women, young and mentally ill people in prison. (5:5)
(in a section on military policy) We will continue to strengthen mental health provision in partnership with the Combat Stress charity, and roll out our Welfare Pathway to give personnel and their families better support and advice (10:4)
reform of the GP contract to help ensure those with late-life depression and anxiety are diagnosed and supported; and better services for those with dementia and Alzheimer’s so that every area of the country has access to psychological therapy, counselling and memory clinics (6:6)
• Access to psychological therapy for those who need it. is one of 5 highlighted goals for the NHS on page 4:2, and is repeated as 'step 20' of '50 steps to a future fair for all' at the end of the manifesto.
Liberal Democrat:
We will help the NHS work better with the money it has by using the savings we have found to protect front-line services, such as cancer treatment, mental health care, maternity services, dementia care and preventive medicine. (p33)
• Prioritise dementia research within the health research and development budget. (p41)
• Improve access to counselling for people with mental health problems, by continuing the roll-out of cognitive and behavioural therapies. (p41)
Because of the rising costs of treatments and an ageing population, there will be particular pressure on services like cancer treatment, mental health care, maternity services, and dementia care; only by going through this process of finding savings elsewhere can we protect these services in the coming years (p40)
Move offenders who are drug addicts or mentally ill into more appropriate secure accommodation. (p74)
the appendix forecasts a cut in 'the economic costs of mental health problems' of £425m ni 2011-12, rising to £605m in 2014-15. (p102)
Mental health is also included in the index, and the 4 references above are all covered.
Conservative: a search for 'mental' found dozens of references to 'departmental', 'fundamental' and 'environmental'. And these..
• enable welfare-to-work providers and employers to purchase services from Mental Health Trusts; and,
• increase access to effective ‘talking’ therapies (p49)
• pilot a mental health follow-up service for those who have left the (armed) services (p107)
Update: see the 3rd comment, where our local Conservative candidate gives a bit more detail of their policies on mental health - thankyou Kevin.
Comment: mostly common ground here, and more from Labour and Libdems than the Conservatives. The frustrating thing is that much of it is about dealing with symptoms - more therapy, more dementia support, more support for forces veterans. Labour is the only party to talk about attitudes, but only does so briefly. There are structural factors in our society which contribute to mental illness: family breakup, stress, consumerism, advertising, poverty, the abolition of a weekly day of rest, etc. We've had a historic opportunity, with the debt crunch, to ask questions about the kind of society and culture we want to be. But who is asking those questions?
other links:
Mental Nurse summarises policies from Libdems & UKIP, and Labour and Conservative. Worth a look as this is someone within the mental health sector.
Discussion board links to Green party policies, and some debate.
A summary of policies at Rethink, with links to other signifiacant party policy documents.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Blue Monday and Beautiful Minds: Christianity and Mental Health
Today is apparently Blue Monday, the most depressing day of the year (particularly if you're an England cricket or Sunderland fan): the mathematical formula is here, and John Pritchard the Bish of Oxford has published some relevant prayers, for example:
Gracious God, you know our need of money.
‘Times are hard’, they say,
But harder for some that others,
harder for us, in fact.
....I don’t ask you for money (how could I?)
But I do ask you for more patience than I’ve got
and more grace that I find in my frustrated soul.
Meanwhile this conference caught my eye, looks fascinating:
The Beautiful Mind?
Emotional Health & Christian Theology
A Conference by: Mind & Soul and St Paul's Theological Centre
26th March 2010.
How we deal with our emotions is an increasingly popular topic. Yet things seem to be getting worse not better, with growing numbers of people suffering from depression. People are looking to faith and spiritually for answers - but is the church ready to respond?
Mind and Soul have teamed up with theologians from St Paul's Theological Centre to offer you this one day conference on Emotional Health and Christian Theology.
here's some of the topics being covered in sessions:
A Thorn in the Flesh: Finding Strength and Hope Amid Chronic Suffering
Capturing The Affections: Getting to the Heart of the Problem
Demons: Do They, Don’t They, What If?
‘If We Claim To Be Without Emotion...’
Mad, Bad or Sad: A Christian Approach to Antisocial Behaviour
Mental Health and Material Wealth: When Prosperity Theology Promises Emotional Healing
Perfectionism: Thomas Cramner’s Gospel for the Overachiever
Prayer Ministry and Psychology: The Relationship and the Risks
full brochure here.
It's hosted by Holy Trinity Brompton, who seem to be developing quite a range of practical courses to complement Alpha. 'Dealing with Depression' looks interesting, but there's not a great deal of info on the HTB website.
The organisation Mind and Soul are one of the sponsors of the day conference - hadn't heard of them before, but they profess to offer a Christian approach to mental health issues. This is a long standing interest of mine, and there seem to be some good articles and resources on the site. Anyone come across these folks?
(And no, they still haven't fixed the Alpha poll that was hijacked by a few mischievous bloggers/Facebookers last year. Click on 'results' to see what I mean.)
Gracious God, you know our need of money.
‘Times are hard’, they say,
But harder for some that others,
harder for us, in fact.
....I don’t ask you for money (how could I?)
But I do ask you for more patience than I’ve got
and more grace that I find in my frustrated soul.
Meanwhile this conference caught my eye, looks fascinating:
The Beautiful Mind?
Emotional Health & Christian Theology
A Conference by: Mind & Soul and St Paul's Theological Centre
26th March 2010.
How we deal with our emotions is an increasingly popular topic. Yet things seem to be getting worse not better, with growing numbers of people suffering from depression. People are looking to faith and spiritually for answers - but is the church ready to respond?
Mind and Soul have teamed up with theologians from St Paul's Theological Centre to offer you this one day conference on Emotional Health and Christian Theology.
here's some of the topics being covered in sessions:
A Thorn in the Flesh: Finding Strength and Hope Amid Chronic Suffering
Capturing The Affections: Getting to the Heart of the Problem
Demons: Do They, Don’t They, What If?
‘If We Claim To Be Without Emotion...’
Mad, Bad or Sad: A Christian Approach to Antisocial Behaviour
Mental Health and Material Wealth: When Prosperity Theology Promises Emotional Healing
Perfectionism: Thomas Cramner’s Gospel for the Overachiever
Prayer Ministry and Psychology: The Relationship and the Risks
full brochure here.
It's hosted by Holy Trinity Brompton, who seem to be developing quite a range of practical courses to complement Alpha. 'Dealing with Depression' looks interesting, but there's not a great deal of info on the HTB website.
The organisation Mind and Soul are one of the sponsors of the day conference - hadn't heard of them before, but they profess to offer a Christian approach to mental health issues. This is a long standing interest of mine, and there seem to be some good articles and resources on the site. Anyone come across these folks?
(And no, they still haven't fixed the Alpha poll that was hijacked by a few mischievous bloggers/Facebookers last year. Click on 'results' to see what I mean.)
Monday, January 04, 2010
Clergy Bullying 'rife'?
BBC report today on bullied clergy:
Workplace bullying of the clergy has become "rife", according to the union Unite which says priests are being picked on by bishops and parishioners.
The union has set up a hotline where the clergy can report abuse, and says it deals with up to 150 cases a year.
"Bishops have got a lot nastier", says the Reverend Gerry Barlow, chair of the faith workers branch of Unite. Unite says the bullying frequently comes from superiors within the church who may be under financial pressure.
"A bullying case can go on for a long time", says Terry Young, a former minister who runs the helpline. "They're picked on for everything they do wrong, so in the end the person runs around terrified. You see these people unsupported, driven into depression and a nervous breakdown."
There are roughly 8,000 stipendiary clergy, though I guess Unite covers the non-stipendiaries too. Over the last 10 years, roughly 250 per year have left the CofE payroll - some of this is movement to other posts (e.g. chaplaincies, Diocese of Europe, work with other agencies like CPAS), but without more detail it's impossible to know how many have quit through stress, who might otherwise have stayed with a better working environment.
This is a topic Bishop Alan has regularly covered, and he has plenty of good reflections on the nature of bullying, and what to do about it. It's an issue the CofE as a whole is alive to: the report Dignity At Work, published in June 2008, is a report on bullying and the clergy, with suggested policies and procedures for Dioceses who want to take it seriously. It would be interesting to know how many Dioceses now have such a policy in place.
At present there's nothing about this on the Unite website, and nothing else on the web, so I'm not quite sure where this story has come from. Given that Unite also covers clergy from non-Anglican churches, and from other faiths, so it's not clear if that 150 is just CofE clergy (in which case it's about 2% of clergy, which is pretty high) or of everyone covered by the union.
Back in the dim and distant past, when I worked for Clarks shoes, one or two people I was 'managing' ended up off with stress and physical ailments, mainly because I was so rubbish at my job. At the same time there were others who I found very intimidating, and was glad to get moved to a different placement after 6 months. The nature of power and authority is so muddled in the CofE that pretty much anyone could end up bullied by anyone else, if the personalities and situation conspire in that direction.
I can tick off in my mind several cases which might end up on this hotline, so it's good that it's there, but it would be even better if the support and love was there from the local and Diocesan community. Unfortunately, parishes are such sealed units that it's very difficult to pop 'over the fence' to offer support, and when you're down and being kicked, it's very difficult to ask for support in the first place.
For interest: Church Times online question about whether people were aware of bullying in their church. 80% of respondents (296 at time of writing) voted 'yes'.
And two questions:
1. how does anyone know that Bishops have 'got a lot nastier'? That's quite a brush to tar the men in purple with. Is the number of reported cases going up, or down? And if so, is that because the helpline is now better known, and the CofE itself is giving this issue a higher profile?
2. Financial pressure may mean that there are redundancies in the pipeline. This is probably a new situation for many dioceses. Redundancy is never great (unless you hated the job anyway), but Dioceses need to do some thinking about how they go about this. Voting through a job cut in Diocesan Synod with the post holder present and debating the point doesn't sound ideal. What's the alternative?
Update: interesting piece by Ruth Gledhill, links roundup at Sam Norton.
Workplace bullying of the clergy has become "rife", according to the union Unite which says priests are being picked on by bishops and parishioners.
The union has set up a hotline where the clergy can report abuse, and says it deals with up to 150 cases a year.
"Bishops have got a lot nastier", says the Reverend Gerry Barlow, chair of the faith workers branch of Unite. Unite says the bullying frequently comes from superiors within the church who may be under financial pressure.
"A bullying case can go on for a long time", says Terry Young, a former minister who runs the helpline. "They're picked on for everything they do wrong, so in the end the person runs around terrified. You see these people unsupported, driven into depression and a nervous breakdown."
There are roughly 8,000 stipendiary clergy, though I guess Unite covers the non-stipendiaries too. Over the last 10 years, roughly 250 per year have left the CofE payroll - some of this is movement to other posts (e.g. chaplaincies, Diocese of Europe, work with other agencies like CPAS), but without more detail it's impossible to know how many have quit through stress, who might otherwise have stayed with a better working environment.
This is a topic Bishop Alan has regularly covered, and he has plenty of good reflections on the nature of bullying, and what to do about it. It's an issue the CofE as a whole is alive to: the report Dignity At Work, published in June 2008, is a report on bullying and the clergy, with suggested policies and procedures for Dioceses who want to take it seriously. It would be interesting to know how many Dioceses now have such a policy in place.
At present there's nothing about this on the Unite website, and nothing else on the web, so I'm not quite sure where this story has come from. Given that Unite also covers clergy from non-Anglican churches, and from other faiths, so it's not clear if that 150 is just CofE clergy (in which case it's about 2% of clergy, which is pretty high) or of everyone covered by the union.
Back in the dim and distant past, when I worked for Clarks shoes, one or two people I was 'managing' ended up off with stress and physical ailments, mainly because I was so rubbish at my job. At the same time there were others who I found very intimidating, and was glad to get moved to a different placement after 6 months. The nature of power and authority is so muddled in the CofE that pretty much anyone could end up bullied by anyone else, if the personalities and situation conspire in that direction.
I can tick off in my mind several cases which might end up on this hotline, so it's good that it's there, but it would be even better if the support and love was there from the local and Diocesan community. Unfortunately, parishes are such sealed units that it's very difficult to pop 'over the fence' to offer support, and when you're down and being kicked, it's very difficult to ask for support in the first place.
For interest: Church Times online question about whether people were aware of bullying in their church. 80% of respondents (296 at time of writing) voted 'yes'.
And two questions:
1. how does anyone know that Bishops have 'got a lot nastier'? That's quite a brush to tar the men in purple with. Is the number of reported cases going up, or down? And if so, is that because the helpline is now better known, and the CofE itself is giving this issue a higher profile?
2. Financial pressure may mean that there are redundancies in the pipeline. This is probably a new situation for many dioceses. Redundancy is never great (unless you hated the job anyway), but Dioceses need to do some thinking about how they go about this. Voting through a job cut in Diocesan Synod with the post holder present and debating the point doesn't sound ideal. What's the alternative?
Update: interesting piece by Ruth Gledhill, links roundup at Sam Norton.
Monday, December 07, 2009
Good News on Mental Illness support
Great to hear that the Government wants to put more resources into tackling mental illness. That announcement at least makes more sense than the idea of naming and shaming public sector employees who are overpaid - bizarre to name and shame your own employees for the money you decide to pay them, but there you go.
A very sensible 'expert' was on the air on Jeremy Vine at lunchtime: not the first one, who seemed to be making more of a political point about inequality, and then didn't stick around for the inevitable critique of her position. Yes poverty is a big factor in mental illness, but it's far more complex than that. Following on was a very sensible GP (I think), Sarah Jarvis, who is well worth a listen, nails lots of myths and makes lots of excellent points in a very succinct way. The section on depression starts at about 1 hr 9 min 15 sec in.
More on the topic in general at the BBC's Headroom site.
A very sensible 'expert' was on the air on Jeremy Vine at lunchtime: not the first one, who seemed to be making more of a political point about inequality, and then didn't stick around for the inevitable critique of her position. Yes poverty is a big factor in mental illness, but it's far more complex than that. Following on was a very sensible GP (I think), Sarah Jarvis, who is well worth a listen, nails lots of myths and makes lots of excellent points in a very succinct way. The section on depression starts at about 1 hr 9 min 15 sec in.
More on the topic in general at the BBC's Headroom site.
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