For an illness that costs Britain 8 billion a year and affects more people than cancer, health services tackling depression are severely under funded. In York, non-serious routine patients can sometimes wait up to a year to be treated, according to Dr Butler. Another avenue of help is the mental health charity MIND, which provides a counselling and advocacy service. Talking it through with someone is the key to recovery. Once that's established there is enough help around to treat and beat it.
Depression is like a ticking time bomb.
The longer you leave it, the worse it gets until suddenly you feel like life isn't worth living. But it's an illness like any other and needs treating as such. It would be dangerous not to.