Depression
The normal ups and downs of life mean that everyone can feel low from time to time. But if emptiness and despair have taken hold of your life and won’t go away, you may have depression. Depression makes it tough to function and enjoy life like you once did. Just getting through the day can be overwhelming. But no matter how hopeless you feel, you can get better. Understanding the signs, symptoms, causes, and treatment of depression is the first step to overcoming the problem.
Depression does not always have a single cause. Depending on the individual the cause may be genetic, due to past circumstances, the result of trauma or grief.
What is Depression?
Depression is a complex condition and can have an impact on mood, behaviour, relationships, sleep, appetite and cognition. Episodes of depression can arise from stressful life events or can be a build-up of small stresses. This can activate a vulnerability. which is maintained by depressive thinking, actions and relationships.
What causes depression?
Depression can be caused by:
What are the symptoms of depression?
Aware lists eight main symptoms which, if five or more are experienced for two weeks or more, require a formal assessment by a health professional. These symptoms are:
How can counselling help?
Depression does not always have a single cause. Depending on the individual the cause may be genetic, due to past circumstances, the result of trauma or grief.
What is Depression?
Depression is a complex condition and can have an impact on mood, behaviour, relationships, sleep, appetite and cognition. Episodes of depression can arise from stressful life events or can be a build-up of small stresses. This can activate a vulnerability. which is maintained by depressive thinking, actions and relationships.
What causes depression?
Depression can be caused by:
- Live events: Some life events such as the loss of a loved one, financial strains, separation and divorce, can cause depression in some people.
- Childhood trauma: Traumatic events during childhood such as abuse or loss of a parent can promote permanent brain changes, which can make the person more susceptible to depression.
- Health Conditions: Chronic health issues such as cancer, heart disease, thyroid problems, and many others increase your risk of becoming depressed. In fact, it has been shown in studies that experiencing chronic pain changes the structure of the brain itself..
- Genetic: Depression is more common in people with a history of depression in the family. Researchers around the world are trying to find the specific genes which are involved in depression.
- Medications and Substances: Certain drugs such as ecstasy and marijuana can compound depression as can alcohol. Prescription medications, even the birth control pill may also contribute to depression.
What are the symptoms of depression?
Aware lists eight main symptoms which, if five or more are experienced for two weeks or more, require a formal assessment by a health professional. These symptoms are:
- Feeling sad, anxious or bored
- Low energy, feeling tired or fatigued
- Under- or over-sleeping, or waking frequently during the night
- Poor concentration, thinking slowed down
- Loss of interest in hobbies, family or social life
- Low self-esteem and feelings of guilt
- Aches and pains with no physical basis, e.g. chest/head/tummy pain associated with anxiety or stress.
- Loss of interest in living, thinking about death, suicidal thoughts
How can counselling help?
- Explore the underlying reasons for your depression and what this means for you in your life presently.
- Explore what is keeping the depression in place for you. This may be negative thinking or behaving or unhealthy relationships. Express thoughts and feelings around the issues and relationships in your life.
- Learning how to control and change patterns in thinking, behaviour and relationships that maintain depression and keeping the number of stresses in your life to manageable proportions.