Are people with depression considered mentally ill?

Answer 1

Depression & Bipolar are classified as 'Mental Illnesses' as they stem from a chemical imbalance in the brain. My opionion is that having an illness that is classified as a 'Mental Illness' doesn't make you mentally ill or crazy.

Unfortunatelly many people who suffer from depresssion/bi polar have this stigma attached - because it's difficult to understand their behaviour is not by choice, but the result of a chemical effect in the body - and people who don't understand the illness are quick to label sufferers.

Answer 2

Yes, the person with severe depression and anxiety is definitely sane.

Depression is not related to being insane. Depression is a medical condition where the person's neuro-transmitters (substances necessary for the brain to function at a healthy level) are out of balance. The levels of these neurotransmitters can be adjusted or corrected by medications. This is no different than people who have thyroid disease and need synthetic thyroxin to correct the problem; or those who have Diabetes or heart conditions that require medication to adjust or correct the problem.

Severe depression can be treated by a variety of helpful methods. Sometimes when a person does not wish to have treatment, they might require hospitalization until the illness is under control. This again is similar to those with illnesses such as diabetes and Heart disease. The patient is certainly not considered insane.

Anxiety is something we all experience from childhood throughout life. A person who is ill very often feels particularly anxious about a variety of things. A person with severe depression is no different. However, a person suffering from depression might be more prone to anxiety unless the underlying problems that triggered the depression are treated. This usually requires a combination of medication and psychological counseling.

I am speaking from a position of knowledge and experience. I have been diagnosed with severe depression for the past 19 years. Anxiety over being good enough, being accepted by others, fear of rejection, etc. are commonly associated with depression. Does this mean that I am insane? Most certainly NOT. It does mean that I must faithfully take my medication and I need to talk through all my fears and anxieties more than those who are not depressed. Did I become depressed through some inadequacies in my character? Most certainly NOT. In fact, I have heard from more than one therapist that I am a very strong person to have survived the events of my life, which included physical and mental abuse by both parents for 20 years and emigrating to start a new life. I have raised two amazing and well adjusted daughters and reached the top of my profession. I have also held public office and was considered to be a fair and honest judge of situations and able to make rational decisions - often better than the other board members who might be considered sane.

There is a great deal of misinformation available to those that fear people who have the mental health condition called "depression." There is such a stygma associated with mental health that people are often afraid to go for help. The term "depression" has been so misused that those who suffer from this devastating illness are lumped in with the common condition known as "the blues" and are told to "get over it". As I once told my mother-in-law, "Why don't you tell your husband to get over his Parkinson's disease and high blood pressure?" In the past, patients with thyroid disease were considered to be insane. Just imagine that! Today they are treated with a daily pill of synthetic thyroxine. I believe that we might be better served if mental and physical health issues were treated under the same umbrella and just called Health. We don't separate out diabetics, cancer patients, or cardiac patients, so why stygmatize those with depression, anxiety, bi-polar disorder, etc.

Believe me, those of us with severe depression and/or anxiety disorder are certainly ill AND we are also SANE.

Answer 3

Yes