Best-selling author reveals depression battle

 

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Best-selling author reveals depression battle

One of the UK's top-selling authors has gone public with the revelation that she is battling a "crippling depression" that has affected her ability to write.

Marian Keyes, 46, has sold over 23 million books around the world, including titles such as Watermelon, Sushi for Beginners, Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married and most recently The Brightest Star in the Sky, which was published in October 2009. Her success as a novelist is often attributed to her ability to write accessible 'chick-lit' style books, which often tackle serious subjects, such as divorce, mental illness and substance abuse.

But despite her success, Ms Keyes has admitted to fans in a note on her official website that she is currently finding it difficult to continue to write, due to a particularly strong recurrence of depression, a condition which she says she has battled throughout her life. Ms Keyes wrote: "I've been prone to depression on and off over the years but this is in a totally different league. This is much, much worse."

The experience has been so bad, she says, that aside from being unable to pursue her career, she has also found herself experiencing difficulties in fulfilling everyday functions, such as holding a conversation, eating and sleeping - symptoms typical of the condition, according to the charity Samaritans. She added: "The worst thing is that I feel it will never end […] Depression is an illness, but unlike say, a broken leg, you don't know when it'll get better."

Ms Keyes does not reveal why she has chosen to come out publicly about her depression, but it does appear that a desire to de-stigmatise the condition could have provided at least part of the motivation. In her online note she states that "lots of people don't believe" in the condition and acknowledges that the public perception of her as a successful career-woman may lead some to question the authenticity of her condition.

Ms Keyes' feelings, as well as the public's perception of depression, are two issues well understood by Lewis Wolpert, Professor of Biology as Applied to Medicine in the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology of University College, London.

Professor Wolpert is the author of Malignant Sadness - The Anatomy of Depression, in which he studies popular misconceptions regarding the illness. The book was inspired by his own experience with the illness, which, he says, completely changed the way he viewed people living with depression.

In an article for the Telegraph Professor Wolpert states: "I used to belong to the 'sock' school when it came to dealing with mild depression - just pull them up and get on with things. But when I experienced severe depression myself, I entered a new world, the same one inhabited by […] Marian Keyes."

He adds that Ms Keyes' descriptions of depression are very typical of someone affected by a condition which he claims is often dismissed as a less serious form of the illness, namely mild depression or simply feeling low.

Like Ms Keyes, Professor Wolpert says his depression struck at the time he least expected it, as he had a happy marriage and a successful career in academia. And both individuals admit that during the worst points of their illness they have experienced a depression so profound that they have considered taking their own lives.

Professor Wolpert states that depression causes most suicides. He points out that around three million people in the UK are affected by depression, "yet it is classified as a 'mood disorder'".

While research has yet to uncover a direct cause of depression, several studies have identified categories of people who can be considered more at risk of developing the condition, according to Professor Wolpert.

He states that bereavement can often act as "a trigger for depression", while there is also evidence to suggest people with relatives who have had the condition may be more at risk of it themselves. Women are cited as being twice as likely to encounter depressive episodes as men, and childhood neglect or abuse can also place people at a greater risk of experiencing the illness.
 
Professor Wolpert also believes the stigma surrounding depression must be tackled in order to enable more people suffering from the illness to seek support in managing their condition. He writes: "It is vital to get rid of the taboo. One approach might be through schools: pupils should be taught about mental health, particularly depression, as this could guide them to seek help when they need it, and to deal with affected relatives and friends."

He adds that there are many treatment options available to people coping with depression. These include seeking a formal diagnosis and medication from a registered GP, cognitive therapy to identify and "unlearn" negative thought patterns, and regular exercise.
 
On her website, Ms Keyes offers a quote which she believes sums up the feelings of people living with the illness. It is attributed to Elizabeth Wurtzel, from her work Prozac Nation and reads: "A human being can survive almost anything, as long as she sees the end in sight. But depression is so insidious […] that it's impossible to ever see the end. The fog is like a cage without a key."

If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or emotional distress, you can call Samaritans for support 24 hours on 08457 90 90 90 (UK) and 1850 60 90 90 (ROI), or email at jo@samaritans.org, or face to face - visit http://www.samaritans.org/ for your nearest branch.

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