What is depression?
Depression is the state of feeling very unhappy and without hope for the future, if you are feeling low it's time to get support.
What are the symptoms of depression?
- Continuous low mood or sadness
- Feeling tearful, hopeless and helpless
- Feeling anxious, worried, irritable or intolerant
- Low self-esteem
- Lack of motivation, energy or interest
- Finding it difficult to make decisions
- Struggling to get any enjoyment out of life
- Having suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming yourself
- Changes in your appetite or weight
- Unexplained aches and pains
- A low sex drive or loss of libido
- A change in sleep pattern (for example difficulty falling asleep, or disturbed sleep)
What can cause depression?
There’s no single cause of depression, sometimes there may be a single trigger other times it may be due to a combination of things that have built up over time such as:
- A life changing or traumatic event
- A bereavement
- Losing your job
- Giving birth
- An illness
- Loss of a relationship
- Or sometimes you can become depressed for no obvious reason.
What treatment is available for depression?
Talking therapies such as cognitively behavioural therapy, interpersonal therapy, counselling or couples therapy can help treat depression. If you are feeling low for a while, self-refer to your nearest NHS Talking Therapy service to find the support for you.
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Depression
