The
death of rugby league great,
Steve Rogers, who was suffering from depression, has put a public face
to the often misunderstood mental illness.
But the
problem is much is not limited to
Rogers and other high profile Australians such as businessman Rene
Rivkin and Crowded House drummer Paul Hester who also died
after suffering depression.
In
Australia, one in four women and one in six men have been clinically
diagnosed with the illness.
[Fact sheet: What to do if you are depressed]
According
to depression expert professor
Ian Hickey, people with the illness often refuse to discuss their
problems with those around them.
Hickey said
particularly those in high profile positions will often do anything to
avoid publicly acknowledging their illness.
"They are
afraid of losing their job,
afraid of losing their social situation, afraid of being revealed to be
weak so when that happens they're more likely to treat themselves with
alcohol or other drugs," Hickey said.
"When
people don't get good care they
tend to try and treat themselves… they tend to withdraw from their
families… they under-perform at work in fact many will lose their job
as a consequence of poor work performance."
"So the
health risks are large and tragically we see the end of these
situations in suicides."
But Hickey
told Today Tonight there were warning signs which
could help detect whether someone you care about has been suffering
from depression.
Warning signs of
depression
1. Do they talk about dying?
2. Have they suffered a recent loss such as death, divorce, separation
or job loss?
3. Have you noticed a change in their personality – such as becoming
sad, withdrawn, irritable, anxious, or tired?
4. Has their behaviour changed, for example, do they find it hard to
concentrate?
5. Has there been a change in their sleep patterns – for example, are
they suffering from insomnia?
6. Has there been a change in their eating habits, such as
a loss of appetite, even over-eating?Â
7. Do they show signs of having low self esteem -such as
feelings of worthlessness, shame, or overwhelming guilt?
Celebrity
agent Max Markson said elite sports people often encounter problems
when their playing careers end.
"They think
where do I go from here," Markson said.
"There's a
macho part of [not wanting to
talk about your problems] because you are invincible… you're a boxer,
rugby league player and you've achieved and you're a hero so therefore
it's not right that maybe you cry or that you are sad."
For further information, please visit www.beyondblue.org.au.
