It is an illness. Some people suffer from it all of their lives. Whether they are a winner or not.
Stephen Fry is intelligent , witty and successful, but suffers severe bouts of depression.
Mr Windass has just gone through a major life changing event. That can cause depression. It's not to say he is weak, or that he wasn't prepared, it just means he is ill and will need to take time to recover.
The mind is a wonderful thing, but it can also play tricks on you. A lot of people suffer from depression but do not realise it as they hide it, usually with alcohol. They are learning more about it all the time. It is a function within the brain that sends chemicals to another part of the brain that causes depression. Depression can be caused by many things, there are no rules on this. Stress can cause depression, so can a life event like Divorce, Redundancy, failing to meet expectations in the work place.
Many employers, and many people out there do not believe depression exists. They believe people should just "get a grip and get on with it". If it was that easy, then no-one would get depression. It is an illness, and it needs time, or medical assistance, to get through it.
I have a good understanding of the signs of depression, and actually took time out last week to take a guy at work aside and ask him what was going on in his life. I told him I thought he was unwell, his behaviour had changed, he was taking no enjoyment from success, he was distant and imprecise.
After a few chats he told me that he had thought about suicide. Not to the point of actually thinking how to do it, but as a last option if things got any worse. At this point I knew this was serious. He had been under stress at home, and his performance at work was so bad his bosses were putting him on formal coaching plans. His bosses did not recognise a change in his behaviour.
Anyway, I made him promise me he would go to the Doctor, he did and has been told he is unfit for work for at least the next 2 weeks. I am so glad I spotted the signs and was brave enough to talk to him about such sensitive issues. It is uncomfortable when it is a work colleague, but it was sure worth it in the end.
It is an illness that was undiagnosed many years ago. Lucky for us it can be easily diagnosed.
What we need though is to remove the stigma. For it is the stigma of having depression that can be as dangerous as depression itself, as it stops people admitting their illness.
Cheery cheery chaps!
poor chap
