A
devastating illness, affecting one in four women
and one in
10 men at some point in their lives
Black dog, the blues, down in the dumps, the
vapours – whatever you call it,
it’s a rare human who doesn’t feel low from
time to time. But occasional sad days
are a million miles from true depression.
Though many casually use the term “depressed�
to describe their glum moments,
the condition is much more than simply feeling
melancholy.
The fact is that depression is an illness, where
sadness is persistent
and intense and feelings of helplessness and
hopelessness are accompanied
by debilitating physical effects.As Depression
Alliance notes, these include
disturbed sleep, loss of energy and even physical
aches and pains.
Contrary to what some may believe, “snapping out� of a true depression is
impossible:
the only way to escape its clutches is to seek
proper medical advice.
“Sometimes people may not
realise how depressed they are, especially if they have
been feeling the same for a long
time, if they have been trying to cope with their depression
by keeping themselves busy, or
if their depressive symptoms are more physical than emotional,�
explains Depression Alliance.
“As a general rule, if you
have experienced four or more of these symptoms,
for most of the day nearly
every day, for over two weeks, then you should seek help.�
They
include:
Tiredness and
loss of energy
Persistent low
mood or sadness
Loss of
self-confidence and self-esteem
Feeling
hopeless and helpless
Difficulty
concentrating
Feeling
tearful
Feeling
guilt-ridden
Not
being able to enjoy things that are usually pleasurable
Sleeping
problems - difficulties in getting to sleep or waking
much earlier
than usual.
Avoiding other
people
Finding it
hard to function at work/college/school
Loss of
appetite
Loss of sex
drive
Physical aches
and pains
Thinking about
suicide and death
Self-harm
The symptoms of depression can have a knock-on
effect on daily life, with work suffering,
social contact falling away and increased
difficulties in home and family life.
As the NHS Livewell site notes:
“Depression can
come on gradually, so it can be difficult to notice something is
wrong.�
Often it takes a friend or family member to suggest
there may be a problem.
And while there is no single cause, it can be
triggered by a host of different factors –
from bereavement to divorce, illness, job worries,
money issues or a combination of things
that lead to a “downward spiral�.
There are some genetic factors, too, and hormonal
changes, such as giving birth,
can lead to increased instances of
depression.
But what can you do if it is blighting your
life?
The key thing is to see a Doctor: while there may
seem no way out of the mire,
the fact is that the sooner you seek help the
sooner the depression will lift.
Treatments vary from simple exercise and talking
therapies for milder depression,
to antidepressants or a combination of the above if
symptoms are more severe.
As Patient UK points out: “Treatment takes time to work but has a good chance
of success.�
There are also some simple self-help tips to follow
that can stop depression from getting worse.
They include:
Don’t bottle
things up – tell people close to you how you feel
Don’t despair –
most people with depression recover
Try to distract yourself with simple things such as
watching TV or listening to the radio –
especially if
sleeping is a problem
Eat regularly and
healthily even if your appetite is lacking
Try to take regular
exercise in the open air, even if just a brisk walk
Don’t drink too
much alcohol, which can make problems worse
Avoid making major
decisions while depressed – for example quitting a job,
moving house or
finishing a relationship. Seek treatment first
Tell your doctor if
you feel you are getting worse, and particularly if
suicidal thoughts
are troubling you.
