Rates of depression have skyrocketed and no, it's not because people are too sensitive or they're not trying hard enough.

It is because the world has changed in ways our nervous systems haven't even caught up with yet.

Today we are unpacking why depression is on the rise and more importantly,

I'm going to teach you the practical evidence-based skills that are helping people feel like

themselves again. Welcome back to your anxiety toolkit. My name is Kimberley Quinlan. This podcast is your go-to resource for all

things anxiety, OCD and mental health. This is a place where you can leave all the fluff behind

and access specific, effective and compassionate tools that are science-backed and tested by me and my clients in my office.

Whether you're struggling with depression yourself or you're supporting someone who is, this episode is here to give you the tools, hope and fierce compassion. So let's go.

So before we get started, let's talk about the actual statistics. I have the notes right here. I

printed them out. This is directly from the CDC. And what they're saying

based on their research is that depression in the United States with adolescents and adults

has increased by 60 percent, 60, zero in the last decade. The overall prevalence is that females have a depressed rate of 16%. So 16% of females are

depressed and 10.1% of males are depressed. That is a large, large number of people who are dealing

with depression day in and day out. Now, what's really important

to understand is the functional impact of depression. 87.9% of people with depression reported

difficulty functioning at work, home or socially. And 31.2% reported extreme difficulty performing daily

activities due to their depressive symptoms. If that is you, you need to know that you're not

alone. You're definitely not lazy. You're definitely not weak. This is an important topic that we

have to keep touching on so that you feel less alone and you stop beating yourself up.

So let's now talk about why depression is on the rise. Why all of a sudden is it that we're

having these high, high extreme rates of depression?

Number one, we know that cultural pressures are crushing us. There is an overwhelming hustle culture.

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