Fighting stigma of depression

LOOKING at Lorraine, it is difficult to believe she has suffered from manic depression for the last 15 to 20 years. She is well-spoken, dresses nicely, her eyes are bright and she talks animatedly about how much she enjoyed the previous week's Top of the Pops.

Yet, on the inside, Lorraine, 57, does not feel quite so positive.

Her problems began when she lost her whole family within two years and she found it difficult to deal with.

Since her diagnosis, Lorraine claims she has lost friends and been shunned by her neighbours because they do not fully understand her condition.

"It's not a psychiatrist I need," she said.

"I only need calming down when I have a breakdown - I'm not crazy. But people will shun you and I find it really hard to make friends."

According to a recent survey on depression, 12 per cent of people in the south found that no one understood or was supportive during their depression.

This figure was the highest of all regions in the UK included in the study.

Lorraine, a former litigation secretary from Clifton Road in Regent's Park, Southampton, wants to raise awareness of manic depression to try and wipe out the stigma attached to her condition.

She hopes, once it is understood how manic depression affects someone, people will be more willing to accept her into society.

"When I see other people dressed up to go to work with their mobile phones I think, 'If only they would give me a chance instead of putting a stigma on it'," she said.

"If I could do a computer course I would do it, but when I go out people laugh. They kind of shun you as if you've got something contagious.

"I find it's mostly the older generation and people seem to make it into something that it's not really. You can tell by the atmosphere."

Although depression is extremely common - one in 20 people have the condition at any one time and one in five will experience it at some point in their lives - people who do not suffer from it find it hard to understand.

Clinical depression can be severely disabling, affecting the simplest of everyday activities, such as getting up in the morning, shopping or making a meal.

It is an illness that lasts for a period of time and is not just about "pulling yourself together".

Lorraine tries to make the best of her condition and keep positive, but said she found it difficult when she did not receive support from other people.

"I've got one or two friends, but it's very difficult to get on in society when you've got this.

"I've got a healthy mind and there are things that set it off and people are inclined to talk. It's unhealthy to talk about people in that way because, although I've been admitted to hospital to have rest, I don't need that now.

"I've got a healthy outlook on life, I don't believe in sitting back and thinking 'I can't do this', but I tend to draw away from people because they think I'm an oddity. You lose confidence."

Stigma and discrimination remain a significant problem for people like Lorraine.

A survey by the Mental Health Foundation in 2000 found 55 per cent of people with mental health problems felt they could not tell their colleagues about their experience and 47 per cent had faced discrimination at work.

Lorraine is trying hard to overcome this stigma, but stressed that she needed support from those around her. She said: "I don't need people to remind me that there are mental health issues because I'm not crazy. It doesn't help me - it makes me feel much worse.

"People make me feel inferior, although I'm not. If only people knew a bit more about this."

WHAT IS DEPRESSION?

The word "depression" is used to describe a range of moods - from low spirits to a severe problem that interferes with everyday life.

People who are experiencing severe or clinical depression are not just sad or upset. The experience of depression is an overwhelming feeling which can make someone feel quite unable to cope, and hopeless about the future.

If you are depressed you may lose your appetite and have difficulty sleeping. There is often an overlap between anxiety and depression, in that if you are depressed you may also become anxious or agitated.

WHO BECOMES DEPRESSED?

Anyone can become depressed. People from all backgrounds, ages and cultures can experience depression, although people vary in how they express their difficulties.

Depression in both women and men is often linked to life changes or loneliness. About ten per cent of women experience post-natal depression in the weeks following childbirth.

Social factors which can make people more at risk of becoming depressed include loss of employment, bereavement and problems with relationships.

Famous people who are believed to have suffered from depression include Sir Winston Churchill, Charles Dickens, Florence Nightingale, Sporty Spice Mel C, and actresses Sarah Lancashire and Maureen Lipman.

SUPPORTING SOMEONE YOU THINK HAS DEPRESSION:

The support network of someone with depression is very important. This may involve professional help, such as a counselling service, charities or friends, work colleagues and family.

Depression is a condition that can be helped and support should be sought quickly. The first point of contact should be the GP, who can assess the severity of symptoms and advise further visits to the surgery, medication or a counsellor or other support.

CONTACT:

Depression Alliance is a charity run by people who have had depression, which produces patient information and runs local support groups and campaigns.

The organisation can be contacted on 020 7633 0557.