It may surprise you to know that about two thirds of the people suffering from depression don’t seek treatment. Depression can be a devastating ailment because it’s one of those sicknesses that changes the lifestyle of those with it. And some of the damage it can cause is irreparable. But there are still people who deliberately avoid treatment and this does not just affect their lives but everyone about them.
To get to know the reasons why people avoid treatment, we have to glean it from those who took their time in coming forward for treatment. And the information here might help anyone who is still thinking about getting professional help. Some of the reasons that were given include:
It will go away if I give it some time. This is true if it’s just a bad case of the blues or just feeling a bit under the weather. Depression on the other hand does not follow this rule. It is something that comes to stay and except it is professionally handled, it won’t just fade away. This is because depression as an ailment has an origin and since it’s a medical condition, it needs to be addressed as such.
The problem here is those that start with this reason have little or no idea of the nature of what they are going through. They don’t know that it is clinical depression. And the real danger is that it gets worse with time i.e. if left untreated.
The best way to deal with this is for you not to take any chance. If you have been feeling ‘blue’ for an extended period of time, seek help. Medical evidence has shown that if left untreated, depression can affect and even cause other ailments to become worse.
I don’t want to be given antidepressants. The word ‘antidepressant’ conjures more issues in the minds of some of those who avoid treatment. They don’t just want to be associated with any treatment that has to do with such drugs. They usually associate the drugs with being put away in a medical facility i.e. they don’t want to go to a ‘psycho’ home. It is like a social stigma that they want to avoid by all means. Such people already have an idea of what they are going through. This is why they don’t want to acknowledge it to the point of seeking medical help.
This has to be handled carefully. Education is the best way forward in such cases. Online resources are available for such a person to go through in relative anonymity. But antidepressants are not the only means available for treatment. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is another equally effective means. It is a treatment that concentrates on your thinking pattern and emotional state.
See a doctor and ask about alternatives to antidepressants. They will be more than willing to fill you in on the availability of alternatives to antidepressants. The objective is to have you treated and you shouldn’t loose sight of this.