Depression is a low mood that lasts for weeks or months. If you have depression, you might feel unhappy, hopeless, and bad about yourself. You might lose interest in things that you used to enjoy and withdraw from friends and family. You might have physical symptoms such as insomnia, lethargy, loss of appetite, loss of sex drive, and aches and pains. You might struggle to remember things and concentrate. You might feel very anxious. These symptoms can range from mild to very severe and debilitating.

People with depression often blame themselves for how they are feeling and tell themselves that they should “pull themselves together” or “snap out of it”. It is not possible to do that when you are depressed, and so these thoughts are not helpful.

Sometimes there is an obvious trigger for an episode of depression, such as losing a job or a relationship or feeling trapped in a situation that makes you unhappy. Sometimes, however, it is not clear why depression happens. Depression can run in families, because vulnerability to depression is partly to do with genes.

Depression can be treated with psychological therapy, medication, or both together. In therapy you will explore the possible causes of your depression, both in the recent past and your earlier life, and you will learn how to work with your thoughts and behaviour to lift your mood.

Further self-help/reading: 

The Little Depression Workbook: Build the life you want with mindfulness, compassion and meaningful action - Paperback by by Dr. Michael Sinclair

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