Depression

Depression is a common mental illness that affects many people at some point during the course of their lives. We are all likely to go through tough times, life is not always easy and sometimes things can go wrong for us. It is natural to feel low sometimes but you can do something to improve how you feel and to tackle the problems that may be causing you to feel low. There are many ways to get help if you suspect you may have depression. Here, we will discuss some of the symptoms and treatments for depression.

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What is Depression?

Depression is not the same as being unhappy or going through tough times; it is much more than that and may need professional attention when diagnosed. When we are thinking about the difference between depression and unhappiness, there are three things to consider;

  1. How severe is the low mood? Are you feeling very upset a lot of the time? Do you find yourself crying or thinking that life is not worth living? The worse you feel, the more it may be possible that you are experiencing depression rather than unhappiness.
  2. How persistent is the low mood? Is it there all the time or does it come and go? Are there times when you feel better or worse throughout the day or week?
  3. How much does the low mood affect you? The worse you feel, the more your body, brain and behaviour may be affected, and you may find it difficult to function in your daily life.

How to spot the Symptoms of depression

Here, we will discuss some of the symptoms and treatments for depression.

When people become depressed there are several symptoms that usually accompany the low mood.
It is helpful to think of these in four different groups:

Emotional symptoms:

People have different ways of describing their low mood, but you may feel low, down, depressed or hopeless. You may just not feel good anymore, funding it difficult to enjoy things that you previously enjoyed. Some people find that they feel flat or grey, an absence of emotions.

Cognitive symptoms:

People who are depressed might have difficulty concentrating, remembering things or making decisions. People with depression may also have very negative thoughts about themselves (“Nothing I do is any good”) about the world (“nothing good ever happens”) and about the future (“it’s always going to be bad and will never get better).” Depression can make you see yourself and the world in a very negative light.

Physical symptoms:

There are a number of ways in which your body may be affected when you experience depression. One of the most common physical symptoms is tiredness, low energy or fatigue. You may experience changes to your sleep, maybe finding it difficult to get off to sleep, waking up during the night or early in the morning and not being able to get back to sleep. You may experience changes to yourappetite, eating either too much or too little.

Behavioural symptoms:

This is about what we do when we get depressed. Often when people feel low they start to withdraw from the world and they stop doing activities they used to enjoy. They may also avoid doing things that need doing. When mood is really low it may even be difficult to take care of yourself physically. If you are feeling unmotivated to do things that you would normally enjoy then this might be a sign of depression.

The Causes of Depression

Why do people get depressed? There is no one answer to this question, different factors can be involved for different people. Here we will describe the main ones:

Biological factors:

Depression sometimes runs in families, if your parents or siblings have a history of depression then you may be more likely to develop it yourself. However, just because you have depression in your family doesn’t mean that you are definitely going to develop it yourself.

Physical problems may also contribute to depression. People who have a long term physical health condition or chronic pain are more at risk of developing depression.

Difficult life experiences:

We may experience difficulties at an early age, such as parents separating or becoming unwell, or major life events such as losing a job or a partner. Sometimes depression can develop not from a single event but from ongoing stresses like financial, employment or housing problems. If difficulties seem too overwhelming or go on for too long, then we may become depressed as a result.

Will depression ever go away?

When we are depressed, we may sometimes feel like we will never get better. The good news is that for most people, symptoms of depression often go away after a week or two. For example, if depression is mild then some people find that exercise can help. However, if your symptoms don’t get better over time then you may need to seek professional help.

Treatments for depression - can depression be treated?

The short answer is ‘Yes!’

There are many treatments for depression that have been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). These include Antidepressant medications and a range of talking therapies. Many people find that a combination of both can be helpful.

Antidepressant Medication

There are a number of different types of antidepressant medication. All antidepressants need aprescription from a medical doctor so if you are interested in taking them then you will need to make an appointment to see your GP.

Psychological treatments

Psychological therapies have been proven to be very effective in the treatment of depression. The most widely researched is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) although other types such as Counselling for Depression and Interpersonal Therapy have also been shown to be helpful.

Helpful Further Resources