Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Department of Psychiatry is encouraging greater understanding of the most common and treatable mental illnesses - depression and anxiety.

Dr Suhaila Ghuloum, senior consultant psychiatrist at HMC, said: “It is very important that everyone understands that depression and anxiety are legitimate illnesses with very real symptoms and that the best way of effectively dealing with these illnesses is to seek treatment as soon as possible.”

“Depression is best defined as a persistent feeling of sadness lasting for more than two weeks rather than just a few days,” explained Dr Ghuloum. 

She said depression can be difficult to recognise initially, particularly if you have not experienced it before. “Some of the symptoms common to depression are feeling sad and without hope, feeling tearful, having no interest in things that you would normally enjoy and feeling anxious.”  Anxiety is also a common mental illness in Qatar and worldwide.

“Anxiety becomes an illness when people are unable to control their worrying; worrying about a variety of things which then begins to affect daily life. If left untreated, anxiety can have a very negative effect on a person’s life and overall well being.”

 

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