UNDERSTANDING DEPRESSION
Everyone feels ‘down’ from time to time, particularly when we are exposed to stress and to the torrent of horror and catastrophe that comes through our news channels. But depression is more than that. When you are depressed your low mood can last for weeks at a time. While mild depression might not stop you from living your life, severe depression can make you feel suicidal and unable to function normally. It is thought that between 3 and 7 people out of every 100 will experience this level of severe depression every year. The good news is that there are many effective psychological and medical treatments for depression.
This guide available from the link below will help you to understand:
- What depression is.
- Why depression might not get better by itself.
- Treatments for depression.
What Causes Depression
There is no single cause for depression. You are more likely to experience depression if you have had:
- Stressful life events which kick-start the depression. These can include losses (e.g. bereavement, the end of a relationship, losing a job), transitions (e.g. leaving home, retiring, having a baby), physical illness, loneliness, or any other significant, traumatic, or stressful events.
- A habit of thinking negatively. More than just a pessimistic attitude, these are patterns of automatically seeing the worst in things (“glass half-empty thinking”), blaming yourself, or discounting your achievements.
- Early experiences which made you vulnerable to depression. These can include poverty & deprivation, abuse, neglect, bullying, poor relationships, or living with a parent who was preoccupied and dealing with their own difficulties.
- There may be genes which make you more likely to develop emotional problems in general, but there is not yet any strong evidence which indicates that specific genes make you more likely to develop depression.
What Keeps Depression Going?
