Depression is very different to feeling “fed up”. Ups and downs in life are common and normal. Most people recover quickly. With clinical depression, you have a low mood and other symptoms each day for at least two weeks. Symptoms can also become severe enough to interfere with normal day-to-day activities. CBT can help you overcome your depression.
There are a number of symptoms that indicate that you may be depressed: • You will have felt sad or low for at least 2 weeks • You stop enjoying the things you used to do • Disturbed sleep especially waking early and being unable to get back to sleep • Change in appetite • Loss of energy. • Feeling slowed up • Poor concentration or indecisiveness. • Feelings of worthlessness • you may even get thoughts about death. This is not usually a fear of death, more a preoccupation with death and dying. WHAT CAUSES DEPRESSION? An episode of depression can be triggered by life events such as a relationship problem, bereavement, redundancy, illness, etc. In many people it is a mixture of the two.. This can lead to patterns of negative thinking and a gradual withdrawal from normal behaviour. A combination of events and life stress can then spiral down into depression. Women tend to develop depression more often than men. Particularly common times for women to become depressed are after childbirth (postnatal depression) and the menopause. |
Mark - Solicitor
"After a failure at work I lost all my energy and motivation. I woke at 4 every morning and couldnt get back to sleep. I kept ruminating about how I wasn't good enough. I stopped doing all the normal stuff even meeting my friends. I found it difficult to make the smallest decisions. Through my sessions I was able to challenge the negative thoughts I was getting. I also learnt to gradually change my behaviour back to my normal routine. My depression lifted and I felt my normal self again. In fact I became better than I was as I stopped being so critical of myself and learnt to enjoy life more. " Mark |