Depression as an illness needing treatment differs from depression as a normal reaction to distressing life circumstances in that it is longer lasting, beyond a few weeks, and usually more severe in nature.
Depression differs from sadness in that it affects sleep, thinking, concentration, appetite and motivation to do things.
Symptoms of depression can be very severe and also very prevalent, interfering with daily life.
We will use an simple assessment to measure how severe yours is and how it is affecting your life.
The most common symptoms of depression are:
Little interest or pleasure in doing things
Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless
Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much
Feeling tired or having little energy
Poor appetite or overeating
Feeling bad about yourself in some way
Trouble concentrating on things
Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could notice, or the opposite, being so restless and moving much more than usual
Thoughts of being better off dead or of hurting yourself in some way
Most bouts of depression can be dealt with very effectively and in a relatively short period of time using targetted psychotherapy, primarily Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). We will offer that, and also mindfulness based CBT which is evidenced to be very helpful.
For severe depression it may be helpful to combine these psychotherapies with medication and for that we will access medical advice with you.
Depression can be present in other conditions such as trauma, addiction, relationship problems. We will help identify if this is the case and offer you, or help you access, services for those conditions alongside the targeted psychotherapies we are providing.