Nikita+Patel--Mental+Illness+FAQs

Depression FAQ Q. If you have a parent with depression, do your chances of getting depression go up? A. Unfortunately, yes, they do. If you have/had one parent with you have a 25% chance of getting depression. If both parents have/ had depression, your chances shoot up to 75%.

Q. If you have depression, does that mean something is wrong with your brain? A. Not necessarily. While depression can be caused by development problems in the brain, it is not the only factor. Depression can be caused by genetics, environment, and can be triggered by a traumatic event.

Q. Why don’t people with depression just do something to make themselves again, like go on vacation? A. Many people think that depression is just a choice, but it’s not. People with depression can’t help being depressed. It wasn’t their choice to have a parent with depression, or to have a loved one die. You can’t snap yourself out of depression just like a person with schizophrenia can’t snap themselves out of being schizophrenic. Depression is a serious mental illness and can only be treated with therapy and medication.

Q. How can you tell if someone has depression? A. Depression is not always easy to identify. Sometimes it can just seem like a bad day. The key is how long the feelings last and how intense they are. If you notice that a person seems detached, angry, sad, empty, hopeless etc. over a long period of time, they might have depression. There are also physical and behavioural symptoms. If you’re not sure, see a doctor who will give a diagnosis.  Q. How many people have depression on the US? A. A 2009 study shows that at any time, 1 in 8 American teens has depression. Also, at least 1 in 4 Americans will have a serious depressive episode in their lifetime.



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