What is depression?
We all go through spells of feeling down but if you are feeling
depressed you are likely to be feeling persistently sad for weeks or months,
rather than just a few days. Depression is a serious mental health condition,
not a sign of weakness or something the individual can just ‘snap out of’.
Depression can affect people in different ways and cause a variety of symptoms.
Here is a list of some of the symptoms of depression:
• Continuous low mood
or sadness
• Feeling hopeless or
helpless
• Feeling tearful
• Feeling guilt-ridden
• Feeling irritable and
intolerant of other people
• Having no motivation
or interest in things
• Feeling indecisive
• Not getting enjoyment
out of life
• Feeling anxious or
worried
• Having suicidal
thoughts or thoughts of harming yourself
• Lack of energy or
interest in sex
• Change in appetite
• Disturbed sleep
(sleeping too much or sleeping too little)
This is not an exhaustive list as there are different levels of
severity of depression (mild, moderate and severe) as well as different types
of depression such as seasonal affective disorder, bipolar disorder, post-natal
depression and others.
If you think you are suffering from depression, contact our psychologist to
discuss your symptoms.
Treatment for depression:
Psychological therapy has been shown to be most effective for the
treatment of depression. Cognitive-behavioural therapy is the most
effective therapeutic approaches for the treatment of depression. If you are
interested in exploring the underlying causes of your depressive symptoms, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy could also be helpful.