DEPRESSION - Part 1

Depression is the leading cause of suicide in Australia, but experts disagree about the use of anti-depressants and whether clinical depression is being over-diagnosed.

Ruth Watson (name change) tried to kill herself when she was 18. "I hit my grand-mother's medicine cabinet, took a handful of tablets and ended up in hospital," she said.

"It wasn't a cry for help. That night I wanted to die. I had been thinking about death and dying since childhood, and I could be self destructive.

"I remember on another occasion driving down the freeway at 180km/h at 4am with my lights off."

These incidents were triggered by severe bouts of depression brought on by family crisis.

Now 39, Ruth has struggled with depression for most of her life.

"Even when I've been well I've been aware that episodes of trauma or loss could trigger a recurrence of my depression," she says.

While sadness and anxiety are normal emotions, clinical depression lasts weeks, months or years, and interferes with the ability to lead a normal life. Sufferers can take no pleasure in life and every day becomes a struggle.

"When I'm depressed I can't see any beauty in anything," Ruth said.

1) POOR PHYSICAL HEALTH AND POOR MENTAL HEALTH TEND TO GO TOGETHER

"Sometimes I feel extremely sad. Other times I can't feel anything, there is just a terrible, bleak emptiness. Then suddenly I'll become so emotional that I can't stop crying."

Depression is the leading cause of suicide, according to Ian Hickie, director of the Brain and Mind Research Institute at the University of Sydney and clinical adviser to beyond blue, the national depression initiative.

"One in five Australians will experience clinical depression at least once in their life and four per cent of the population will suffer from clinical depression in any one year," Professor Hickie said.

As depression has a tendency to recur, much of that four per cent will be people who have experienced previous bouts of depression.

Clinical depression is a real illness that people can't be expected to just "snap out of, according to Hickie.

It is usually caused by interacting physical, psychological factors. A depressive episode can be triggered by trauma or long-term stress, such as extended unemployment or ongoing family or relationship problems, but can also occur for no apparent reason.

About 60 per cent of sufferers are female.

The illness often runs in families and some people are genetically predisposed towards depression. But it is also linked to coping skills as well as general health and well being.

Smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol all seem to be risk practors for depression, as are alcohol and drug abuse. But depression also increases the chances of people being smokers or heavy drinkers or eating poorly, and reduces the chances of people being able to give up these habits.

Trying to give up smoking can actually trigger bout of depression, but continuing smoking will worsen overall health and gradually increase the risk of depression occurring.

Click here for Part 2