In this country 20% of the population will experience a depressive episode during thier lifetime. Some of these people will have only a single episode, some will have recurrent episodes and some will get worse and require hospitalisation. Nearly every person who experiences a depressive illness will have experienced a significant trauma. Trauma can take the form of loss of a loved one, accident or injury and sometimes childhood abuse. Trauma resets the brain into a maladaptive pattern that can last for years and years. The makes the person considerably more vulnerable to stress and the result can be a depressive illness.

Depression is treatable, whether in children, adolsecents or adults. Depression has many symptoms. Some involve they way we think, some the way

we feel and some the way we behave.

This week I will be posting articles about depression and its symptoms and treatment options.

It is Depression Awareness Week in Ireland and we need to be knowledgable about it. Lives are sometimes at stake.