Depression

Overview

In this section you can find out about the experience of depression by seeing and hearing people share their personal stories on film. Researchers travelled all around the UK to talk to 38 people in their own homes. Find out what people said about issues such as childhood, therapies, self-help and impact on work and family. In recent times, bipolar disorder (which includes episodes of mania and depression) and depression have come to be considered as separate – yet related – conditions, mainly because the treatments required are different. On this website we have included experiences of both. We hope you find the information helpful and reassuring.

You may also be interested in our our section on young people’s experiences of depression and low mood.

Melvyn Bragg introduces depression section

Depression preview

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Interview 23: I think, I can remember being a very happy little child. And then something happened when I was about five which changed things.

Interview 19: It was like being inside a very, very thick balloon and no matter how hard I pushed out the momentum of the, you know, the skin of the balloon would just push me back.

Interview 21: And when I've been depressed, I get really very desperate to do anything that would be a distraction.

Interview 15: So she explained to me that, you know, that they're not going to patronise me. They're not going to make me feel bad. They're not going to force me to talk about anything. They're not going to make me forgive. You know, all these fears and concerns and worries that I had.

Interview 24: Have belief in yourself that you will get out of this.

This section is from research by the University of Oxford.

Supported by:
Department of Health

Publication date: October 2004
Last updated: September 2017