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What is depression?
We all feel sad, down and blue some of the time. What's different about depression is that it goes on for much longer, and the feelings of sadness are accompanied by other symptoms. People experiencing depression will have most or all of these symptoms:
- feeling in a depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day
- a diminished interest in most activities, nearly all of the time
- change in weight (gain or loss) when not dieting
- increased or decreased appetite on most days
- insomnia
- fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day
- feelings of worthlessness and/or excessive, inappropriate guilt
- difficulty in concentrating
- thoughts of death or suicide (adapted from DSM-IV-TR)
These symptoms would be experienced over at least a 2 week period, but it will often be far longer before the person with depression feels ready to ask for help.
In our western society we tend to stigmatise a lot of mental health problems. However, due to many high profile figures in our society admitting to experiencing depression, as well as the hard work of many individuals and organisations, depression continues to become something that people feel able to acknowledge and talk about. Depression is one of the most common mental health problems, and it is nothing to be ashamed of if you believe you are depressed.
What causes depression?
There is not one single cause of depression. Whilst we can get depressed due to a major personal difficulty, other longer-term risk factors also contribute. That's why two people may experience the same incident and one will become depressed whilst the other won't.
Incidents in our personal life that can trigger depression include:- death of a loved one
- relationship break-up
- redundancy
- moving location
- changing jobs
- trauma
- abuse
- family history of depression
- chronic disease eg cancer, cardiovascular disease, glandular fever
- substance use/abuse
- phase of life changes eg teenage, mid-life, retirement
What can I do about it?
Depression is nearly always treatable. How you seek treatment very much depends on your individual beliefs. The three main approaches to treatment are:
Medical
Your GP can prescribe a course of anti-depressants if you are diagnosed with depression. If you decide to take medication, it is advisable to also seek additional treatment.
Alternative treatments
There are more and more alternative practitioners who offer a different perspective on treatment.
Counselling/Psychotherapy
Many people find that just working with a counsellor is enough to work through their depression. Most healthcare professionals agree that 'talking therapy' is an important part of treating depression, regardless of whether medication or alternative approaches are being used.
- exploring ways to alleviate symptoms of depression through practical support
- uncovering the root causes of the depression so you are able to move forward with your life in a more positive way