What is Depression?

We all have lived through temporary episodes of sadness, apathy or helplessness in the course of our lives. Casually, we call these difficult moments ‘feeling depressed’, ‘having the blues’ or ‘feeling down’.

Depression, however, is not just ‘feeling down’. In fact, depression is a real medical condition. It is a clinical mood disorder with observable symptoms that time alone cannot alleviate.

It is an illness that, according to the ones who have experienced it, inflicts a pain so great that nothing but the grimmest of despair subsides.  

It is a disease that keeps people from living their lives in a way that the most basic activities can become challenging. It dulls passion and isolates.

The good news is that depression is preventable and treatable, with encouraging recovery rates.

The bad news is that a lot of people struggling with depression will not seek the help they truly need because they fear the stigma surrounding the illness. As a result of this ill misconception, feelings of shame and worthlessness are being projected onto the person, who’d rather be silent than be the subject of this negative attention.

Better understanding and awareness of depression is the starting point to destroy these dangerous and harmful stigmas hindering diagnostic and recovery.

Your pharmacists can help you break this barrier, with private consultations about your concerns. They are trained and have the resources to detect warning signs and provide respectful, needed support. They make sure treatments are optimized, comfortable and suitable for you and your lifestyle, and they follow-up as often as required.