What is depression?
Everyone becomes unhappy at some stage of their life but depression is something else. When someone says, “I’m depressed.” They often really mean that they are sad or fed up. This is normal and usually most people recover quite quickly and feel ok again. When someone has depression, they have low mood and other symptoms each day for at least two weeks, they find it hard to feel better and at times this can also affect everyday functioning. People can feel depressed in reaction to something negative happening in their lives, but sometimes it is hard to pin point why you feel depressed and there is no clear trigger.
Symptoms of depression
- Persistent sadness or low mood
- Distinct loss of enjoyment in regular activities
- Disturbed sleep
- Change in appetite
- Low energy
- Difficulty in thinking
- Difficulty in concentration
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Thoughts about death
If you have some of these symptoms, then it is best to go to your GP or a qualified mental health professional who can discuss this with you and decide if you are suffering from depression.
Treatment for depression
Treatment can include anti-depressants from your GP and/or talking therapy. This can include cognitive behaviour therapy, explorative psychodynamic therapy, interpersonal therapy, behavioural activation or others. It is hard to say what kind of treatment is the best until you have discussed this with a therapist and decided what mode of therapy suits you best.