A Map of the USA, a depressing thought!

 

For my blog I have chosen a topic that is quite close to my own heart, as a person who has fought Depression through behavioural therapy it makes me feel slightly sad that this picture is captioned 'Lifetime diagnosis of Depression.' It is almost a representation of what happens when the famous 'American Dream' goes wrong. In this map 30 of the 52 states of the USA has a depression rating over 15% of the population and although it seems natural that the areas around the East coast or 'Megatropolis' has such a high rating as the population is grand it is very surprising to see such high depression ratings in the Mid West of North America or the 'Empty Quarter.' More interestingly is Utah, the state in the western part of the map which is the only state in this area to have a depression rating over 19% of the population. As a state which has a population density of just over 34 people per square mile it is shocking to see a state so worse for wear, in fact on researching this topic it is suggested that the reason there is such a high percentage of depression in Utah is because it has a low amount of medical resources in general and it is very rare to find those with training to cure such a simple disorder. This situation is similar for Alaska, with a population density of just over 1 person per square mile such a high depression rate is appalling although I highly doubt it is because it is a difficult or bad place to live, I simply believe it is due to loneliness and isolation of the area.

 It is highly expensive to cure a mood disorder through therapy at $75 dollars per 50 minute session(http://www.pricetherapist.com/RatesInsurance.en.html) so those who have depression will not accept treatment and it is thought many will not even bother to be diagnosed and will suffer alone. Most that go through depression find it cheaper to use anti-depressants which are significantly cheaper at $4 for 21 days worth (https://www.schnucks.com/pharmacy/save_on_generic_drugs.asp ) it shows that Americans prevent symptoms rather than curing them. We have to ask ourselves is this a representation of the struggles of American lifestyle and culture? Or a representation of the affects of the lack of healthcare and their abandonment to cure a disorder so simple to cure as Depression. Is America as patriotic as it is to cover up the fact that it is so bad? One of the main symptoms for Depression is denial after all...