On Depression Part 2

I think it ironic that the more I try to find Happy people, the more cases of depression I seem to be uncovering...I was describing (okay, whingeing) to my friend my draining past week re:depressed people overload when she just candidly admitted she was "one of those" to the extent of turning to drink and actually wanting to kill herself...and still has her moments! I was truly shocked...it was only then that it really hit me, wow this depression thing is waaaay more prevalent than ever I could have imagined...at the rate I'm observing- I'm guessing 8-9/10 people have had a major depressive episode in their life?

I wonder if I had known her any longer whether my intuitive antennae would have picked it up-if not, this is truly scary how it can completely pass 'under the radar'!

All this pain often goes untreated cos sufferers are too ashamed to tell people, seek help...they keep all this pain so well hidden! And then I realised, wow rather than sighing with despair and wanting to head for the hills, I should actually feel privileged that people would actually share these things with me!

To me it doesn't matter how many times I've heard it :P but it is always shocking when people so seemingly rational with such happy seeming lives confide that they're entertaining suicidal thoughts. Cos to me, straight up: not an option...maybe it's partially what kind of disposition you're born with or maybe it is partially a result of life perspective gained through having gone through more than your average bear but...really I don't believe there is anything SO BAD as to warrant taking one's own life...okay maybe in rare cases of human vegetation similar to Jean Luc Bauby etc. In cases like these I see Euthanasia (if so requested) as the Ultimate Compassion, but for things of a purely emotional basis I really believe it's just a) either traumatic event induced or b) brain chemicals out of whack...for both types I think holistic medicine is very effective and unfortunately sooo underutilised! I've seen multiple cases now of patients solely on western meds for both types of Depression and am to date, incredibly unimpressed- they may temporarily patch a leaking hole but the hole keeps growing bigger!!!

Now the prevalence factor amongst so many people I personally know is starting to really sink in, I definitely have renewed vigour to get deep and dirty into it and work out how to combat it....I think I just need to draw my boundaries better, lose this "empath" affliction and learn how to be a "detached observer"...so maybe that means only treating strangers and referring friends to a colleague...sometimes I guess that's what you need in order to properly do your thing!