'Depression makes you stronger'

LONDON: Depression is common but it's not a sign of weakness. In fact, experiencing the condition for a brief period can actually benefit you.

A leading psychiatrist has claimed that a bout of depression could be good for the soul — it may bring misery to its sufferers, but it can also leave them tougher and more resilient, the Daily Mail reported on Monday.

"We see it as a defect — often patients see themselves as broken in some way — whereas I think of it as a defence mechanism. It has simply adapted in the human species to give us long term benefits," Dr Paul Keedwell of Institute of Psychiatry in London was quoted as saying.

According to him, depression, which has played a key role in evolution, can also spark creativity. However, Keedwell had warned that the condition in severe form can be terrible and life threatening, unless treated. "But for many it is a short term painful episode," he explained.

Estimates suggest that as many as one in four people will suffer from depression at some stage in their lives, and that 5% of the population is currently living with it.

Keedwell's book How Sadness Survived , published last month, comes as a growing number of experts question whether doctors and drug companies are too keen to treat the condition with powerful and harmful drugs.

Keedwell, said, "We see it as a defect. Often patients see themselves as broken in some way, whereas I think of it as a defence mechanism."