Denise Welch lives with her ‘crippling’ condition’
Loose Women: Denise Welch gets emotional over her dad
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Airing on BBC One, Denise Welch and her husband of nine years join five other celebrity couples who compete to prove they are the best romantic match. The likes of Shirley Ballas and Danny Taylor, and Stephen Bailey and Rich Taylor, take part in tasks such as bungee jumps to getting tattoos together. While the gameshow will test people’s patience, teamwork, and problem-solving skills, Denise has experienced her own personal challenges before the TV show.
The Loose Woman panellist has lived with clinical depression “for so long”.
On the chat show earlier this year in April, Denise opened up about her condition.
“I’ve lived with it for so long,” she said, explaining her depression began 33 years ago, five days after her son, Matty Healy, was born.
“It began with a massive panic attack which made my whole lactation process stop overnight,” she revealed.]
“It felt like a dream sequence,” adding that it was an “unwelcome visitor” that is “crippling, frightening, [and is a] debilitating condition”.
Denise, 64, elaborated: “Depression depresses every single emotion in you.
“It’s not sadness, it’s an absence of feeling. It completely robs you of emotion.”
Clinical depression
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIH) explained the “serious mood disorder” causes “severe symptoms”.
Symptoms “affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities”, such as sleeping, eating, or working.
“To be diagnosed with depression, the symptoms must be present for at least two weeks,” the NIH added.
Signs of depression
- Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
- Feelings of hopelessness, or pessimism
- Feelings of irritability, frustration, or restlessness
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
- Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities
- Decreased energy, fatigue, or feeling “slowed down”
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
- Difficulty sleeping, early morning awakening, or oversleeping
- Changes in appetite or unplanned weight changes
- Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts
- Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems without a clear physical cause that do not ease even with treatment
- Suicide attempts or thoughts of death or suicide.
Risk factors for developing depression include personal or a family history of depression, major life changes – such as trauma or stress – and illnesses.
Treatment for depression
Counselling can be a helpful therapy treatment to cope with depression.
Learning new ways of thinking and behaving, thanks to therapy, can influence a person to engage in more helpful habits that could ease depressive symptoms, such as exercise.
Experts at Berkeley University of California noted: “The causes of depression are quite complex.
“Very often it is a combination of genetic, psychological, and environmental factors.”
Psychological and environmental stressors can contribute to a depressive episode.
Examples can include loss, chronic illness, relationship problems, work stress, and a family crisis.
People who have been experiencing symptoms of depression for two weeks or more might benefit by talking to their doctor.
Denise Welch stars in BBC One’s Unbreakable on Thursday, October 20 at 8pm.
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