1 in 5 suffer from depression

At some point in their lives 1 in 5 people will suffer a severe bout of depression.

It can lead to a wide range of symptoms from weightloss and a lack of appetite, to unexplained aches and pains and feelings of anxiety, guilt, grief and even suicide.

In Guernsey roughly three people take their own lives each year. Last year in Jersey 25 people committed suicide - and that number has more than trebled since 2005.
Recent research has shown that just 27% of people who go on to commit suicide in Jersey have any contact with the mental health service. That's why groups like the Samaritans are using National Suicide Prevention Day to get the message across to islanders, particularly young men, that help is available.

Zee Lanoe from Samaritans Guernsey said: "When young men do phone us they do say they almost feel ashamed to admit that they're going through these problems. And it's almost like in society women are allowed to have problems and to feel low and not be able to cope. Men aren't allowed to do it and I think when men, especially young men, feel like that they just feel like they're a failure whereas women just think well this is part of life and I've got to get help for it."

In Guernsey Health and Social Services are trying to make support for depression sufferers more accessible and doctors are promoting online services that mean islanders can self-diagnose and find advice from their own homes, because they still find many are reluctant or nervous about seeking help.

Doctor Sara Johnson from the Adult Mental Health Service said: "There is a huge stigma around mental health in general and particularly depression and I think it does put people off seeking help. I think often people get as far as maybe mentioning it to their GPs but it's often bundled in with lots of other issues or maybe it's the 'Oh by the way I'm also feeling a bit low' that sometimes the GPs don't, or can't pick up on."

If you or anyone you know has been affected by the issues in this story, there is help available:


Guernsey

Guernsey Association for Mental Health (MIND) - (01481) 722959

Guernsey Schizophrenia Fellowship (01481) 723308 Email: gsfmentalhealth@cwgsy.net

Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service - Bell House - (01481) 701441

www.samaritans.org/talk_to_someone/find_my_local_branch/crown_dependencies/guernsey.aspx


Jersey

www.samaritans.org/talk_to_someone/find_my_local_branch/crown_dependencies/jersey.aspx

jerseyfocus.com/



Other support websites

www.depressionalliance.org/

www.depression.com/
(from CTV)

Have you ever sufferred any form of depression?

Have you lived with someone who has, and what was it like?

What are your views on depression?

been there done it and bought the t-shirt. depression isnt an easy thing to live with....i am now in the process of reducing someones medications that they have been on for 12 years..i have been told that the combination of pills she has been on may be causing her bouts of violence at the moment...she should never have been prescribed anti depressants for this long..the locum phsychiatrists (as thats all they were a different one was seen on most visits)were only concerned about if she was sleeping,eating etc..nobody ever tried to find out the underlying cause of the depression...now after all this time she is seeing someone from the uk who has decided she needs to come off the pills..almost there now about 2 weeks to go xx