FEELING DOWN? YOU'RE NOT ALONE

Like with obesity, there's a depression epidemic:

A leading Australian psychiatrist has stirred up the debate on depression, saying many people could be diagnosed with clinical depression who are just feeling a bit blue.

Professor Gordon Parker of the University of New South Wales says depression is being over-diagnosed.

"My personal view is that it is normal for humans to become depressed," he said.

"We can call that normal depression and there's also clinical depression."

He says while 20 to 30 years ago clinical depression was diagnosed in about 5 to 10 per cent of the population, current diagnostic criteria would cover up to 90 per cent of the population.

"Normal depression"? It should be called what it is: sadness. Now suck it up and get on with it.