Depression: What is it?

Depression: What is it?

Introduction

Depression is a mental health condition that causes feelings of sadness and loss of interest. It affects the way we think, feel and behave. Depression can be mild to severe and can last from a few weeks to several months. Depression is different for everyone, but it can affect how you feel about yourself and the world around you.

What is depression?

Depression is a serious and common illness. It can affect your ability to work, sleep and enjoy life. Depression affects people of all ages, and from all walks of life and has been diagnosed in every country worldwide.

Depression is not a sign of personal weakness or failure. Many successful people have been depressed at times in their lives and some may be suffering from depression without even knowing it. It’s important to talk about your feelings with family or friends and seek help if you think you might have depression.

What are the symptoms?

Depression can cause the following symptoms:

• A loss of interest in things you normally enjoy. This may include a loss of energy, feeling sad and tearful, sleeping more than usual, or not being able to enjoy your favourite activities.

• Weight loss or gain (unintentional).

• Difficulty sleeping and/or waking up early. You might feel like you're "wired" at night because it's hard to fall asleep right away or stay asleep for long enough that you feel rested when it's time to get up again. You might also wake up feeling tired even though you've slept well for a few hours during the night.

• Difficulties concentrating and making decisions. These issues can make it difficult for you keep up with daily tasks at home and/or at work (e.g., taking medications as prescribed, paying bills on time).

• Feeling worthless and guilty about everything that goes wrong — even if others don't seem bothered by these things!

How does depression affect people?

Depression can affect people in many different ways. It can make it hard for you to perform everyday tasks, concentrate, and sleep. Depression may cause physical symptoms like headaches, stomach aches and muscle pain.

If you have depression:

• You might feel sad or irritable most of the time.

• Your thoughts might be negative and focused on the bad things that have happened to you in life or will happen in the future.

• You may not have any energy to get things done that used to be easy for you before being diagnosed with depression (like taking care of your family).

If someone close has been diagnosed with depression:

• You'll probably see them less happy than before they were diagnosed with depression because they're dealing with their feelings alone instead of talking about them together like they used to do when they were both healthy people together.*

How can we support someone?

• Listen:

While you're there, try to be open and ready to listen. If they want to talk, ask questions that help them share their thoughts and feelings. If they don't want to talk or are unable to, ask what you can do for them instead of pushing them into conversation. It's completely normal for someone struggling with depression not to feel up for talking about it.

• Be there:

Don’t just come in and out—you need time too! Don’t disappear when things get tough or take a long time; stay present so your loved one knows you care about their journey through recovery as much as they do. Give yourself permission to stop being perfect by learning from your mistakes rather than beating yourself up over them again and again—it will only add more stress on top of what they are already feeling!

Can a person overcome it?

Depression can be complex, and there is no simple cure for it. But with the right support and treatment, depression can be overcome.

Different types of treatment are available, including medication and psychotherapy (talking therapy). If you have symptoms of depression or anxiety, your GP will discuss the best options for you.

You may also find online support helpful if your symptoms interfere with everyday life or relationships with others around you.

Depression is common but very hard to understand.

You may have heard of depression and know that it’s a serious illness, but you may not understand what someone with depression is feeling or how to support them. Depression can affect anyone, no matter their age, gender or background.

For many people with depression, it can be hard to explain why they feel the way they do. They might not have the words to explain how they’re feeling – or even if they do, those words may mean different things for each person suffering from the condition. However you define it for yourself – whether that's ‘I feel sad all the time', ‘I don't enjoy doing anything' or simply ‘I don't want to get out of bed any more'... no matter which phrase describes your experience - talking about it can be difficult (and sometimes scary). But remember: being open about your mental health could help others understand what you're going through too!

Conclusion

It’s important to remember that no two people will experience depression in the same way, so there are no hard and fast rules about what someone should do when it comes to supporting someone who is experiencing depressive symptoms. The best thing we can do as friends and family is listen, care and be there for one another.