Are we a depressed nation?

I think absolutely everyone should have access to therapy from childhood. And that therapy should be free, well-regulated and measurable in terms of efficacy.

People should not have to wait until they are in crisis or emotional pain to seek out professional help. As the NHS moves towards (in principle, anyway) prevention focussed healthcare, why can’t we have mental wellness therapy for all?

What we have now isn’t good enough.

There are many talented, caring people who really help and support others in the mental health field. I’m not criticising anyone. It’s the system (as usual) that is broken, and that goes for both the public and private sectors.

First stop, a speedy assessment

When your mental health gets bad enough to interfere with your life, the first stop is a visit to your GP. And there are not enough of them.

They are under an unsurvivable amount of workload pressure, have a maximum of 9 minutes per appointment, and many people can’t even get an appointment.

And in that short period of time, they are forced to make an assessment and, unsurprisingly, the quickest fix is often a prescription.

8.32 million people in the UK have had a prescription for anti-depressants this year.*

Prescriptions for anti-depressants in the UK have risen yearly for the past six years.

83.4 million items were prescribed in 2021/22.

It has been reported that almost 15% of people in England alone are taking them.

The problem is huge. We are becoming a depressed nation.

No wonder the system can’t cope.

I’m not saying medication does not help.

Indeed, it can pull severely depressed people out of a black hole. But to find a drug that works for you takes trial and error.

Many people don’t get the opportunity to experiment with the type of drug or combination of drugs that will help them recover.

They get what they are given. And, of course, your mileage may vary.

We have to help ourselves.

If you have been prescribed anti-depressants, and you have given them 2-4 weeks to make a difference (it takes time), and if you are not noticing an improvement in your mood, please go back to your GP and ask to try something else.

Also, check your diagnosis. There is an NHS tool here but bear in mind this is not a final diagnosis; many other conditions look like depression but may be caused by physical illness or another mental health condition entirely.

If in doubt, reach out to one of the excellent mental health charities for more advice; there are contacts on my resources page.

What’s your experience?

Please comment below on your own experience with getting help for mental health for yourself or others. I will be writing more about this subject, and I would appreciate your opinion. Thank you.

* SOURCES: NHS/BSA Statistics 2021 Pharmaceutical Journal