In Austria, around 600,000 people suffer from depression. Statistically, therefore, every third person must assume that he becomes mentally ill in the course of his life. And despite this large number of people affected, mental illness is still not recognized by many sectors of society as a true disease. The consequence is that depressive people additionally have to struggle with shame, insecurity and cover-up. That's why the Verein ganznormal.at was launched! »" Our soul deserves more attention! "

Covering up depression

For fear of stigmatization, job loss and serious financial losses, people with mental illness often do not dare to seek help from relatives, friends or their family doctor. Instead, they do a lot to prevent the diagnosis of depression. With the result that the disease can not be treated properly for a long time or not: "People come to me at the end of their strength – for example, after six weeks, in which they were five times sweaty sweaty night and never just come to rest , " Says Primarius dr. Georg Psota, chief physician of the psychosocial services Vienna and director of the advisory board of ganznormal.at. And Dr. Psota continues: "Even severely depressed people try to rationalize when confronted with a mental illness for the first time. You're looking for other causes, including physical explanations, because what it is, depression, that's what it should not be. The disease, properly diagnosed and treated correctly, could in many cases be cured! "

"Depression is not a real disease ?!"

Depression is not a broken leg – and yet there are parallels between the two: Mental illnesses are about half as common as physical illness. And although they can not (yet) be diagnosed with blood tests like diabetes mellitus, physical and mental illnesses have more in common than one might expect at first sight. Both have mild to severe, episodic and chronic forms. The big difference, however, is: people with mental health problems are socially stigmatized! To change this, LAbg. Christian Deutsch founded the association ganznormal.at. The name of the platform is program – after all, it is about bringing mental illness to where it should have been due to its growing importance – such as the most common cause of early retirement – at the center of social debate. Christian Deutsch commented, "It is important to educate those affected and their populations, to publicize the available services and to encourage people with mental illness to confess their illness. Because only in this way can change happen. "

How can depression be taken seriously?

One chance among many others sees Dr. Psota also in the health examination: "It would be desirable if mental illness also in the anamnesis, which is filled in the framework of the health examination in Austria every year by hundreds of thousands of people, would be given more space. Our soul just deserves more attention. " The best attainable state of health is a social human right. The united ganznormal.at calls therefore an equality of mental and physical illnesses. Concerned and relatives find on the side of the association ganznormal.at appointments to lectures, as well as contact points for immediate assistance.