Just came across this on a friend's facebook status:

DEPRESSION is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign that you have been trying to be strong for too long. Put this as your status if you know someone who has, or had, depression. Most people won't, as they see depression as an illness that can be caught.

He then went on to say 1 in 5 are on anti-depressants That may be true in the UK, but I'm not sure that can be said of other countries Not even sure how depression is diagnosed, as we all go through phases in life where things don't go our way and we feel down.

I wonder if there would be so many depressed brits if anti-depressants weren't given out so freely and full pay and sickness benefit were an option.

Depression costs the UK £7.5bn a year
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8436111.stm