Army - The Soldiers' Newspaper

WINSTON Churchill called depression his “black dog”. It is now a common term for describing the effects of depression and associated disorders.

But not everyone can tame their black dog, or often even identify that it exists. As Christmas approaches, many people will be plagued by depression as they cope with the stresses of the holiday season. For most members of the ADF, Christmas is a period of rest, family get-togethers, joy and celebration and time to look ahead to new challenges and hopes for the coming year.

But for some, it is a time of stress when we may have to travel long distances to be with family or to a new posting, and deal with the disruption that this can bring to ourselves and our families. This can often lead to depression. All of this may be superimposed on the normal stressors that Christmas can bring.

Stressors

Some people approach Christmas with a sense of dread, deriving little, if any, joy from this season of celebration. For some, Christmas is a time to remember anniversaries – and not always pleasant ones. Many people just go flat and wish it would be over quickly.

A common illness

Depression is one of today’s most common illnesses, not always recognised by those suffering or even by those whose job it is to treat the illness. Depression is different things to different people. Most of us at one time or another will have felt depressed, whether over bad news, family problems, problems at work or perhaps for no reason at all.

Normal depression

This depressed mood may be accompanied by:

a drop in self-esteem
increased self-criticism
a failure to enjoy normal activities
a gloomy outlook on life in general.

This is not necessarily an illness, but may be characterised as a normal depression. While such feelings are common, they are usually transient, are not held deeply and do not affect us much in our day-to-day functioning.

Abnormal depression

Unfortunately, there are some who suffer from what is often referred to as clinical depression. This is a real illness, it is not a choice. Those suffering from this:

hold onto negative thoughts about themselves; and
worry about the future and the world with more conviction than someone experiencing the so-called normal depression.

The depressed mood and negative outlook are more pervasive, affecting the person’s ability to think, to enjoy and to function in their social, family and work environment.

Identifying clinical depression

How do we know if we have clinical depression? Generally, we experience a variety of emotions such as:

anger, gloom and anxiety
a change in sleep patterns, with waking in the early hours quite common
a change in appetite
reduced self-esteem and motivation
reduced sex drive
reduced ability to enjoy things
reduced tolerance of pain
a reduction in concentration andmemory.

These symptoms tend to be quite pervasive, and associated with social and psychological disability and may lead to suicide.

Seek help

If you think your symptoms may fit this picture, seek help. Depression is an illness, not a choice. It can be treated, and like any other illness, is best treated early. If you are excessively tired or irritable for no obvious reason, it may be an indicator of depression. Seek help.

Where to find help

Given that this is an illness, you are best advised to see your medical officer. However, some people are not comfortable with this and you may wish, in the first instance, to consult your chaplain or psychologist.

If the symptoms are severe, medical treatment will be necessary. For many, depression can be treated with a form of counselling or cognitive behavioural treatment. For many others, an antidepressant is necessary along with these treatments.

Will my career be affected?

Your career will not be affected if treatment is started early. If you leave it until the symptoms are well entrenched, requiring long-term treatment, there may be a problem.

Remember that in the ADF we are about retention and return to duty, we are not about abandoning you. Don’t get to the point of suicide or despair or isolation from family and friends over a potentially treatable problem. Get it fixed and “live well, work well, be well”.