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Depression

Depression

We sometimes use the word ‘depressed' to describe when we are feeling unhappy or low, but depression is different from having an everyday case of the ‘blues'. When we are depressed the feelings go on for weeks at a time and they sometimes interfere with our ability to cope with the rest of our lives.

What causes it?

It's natural to go through a time of feeling low after something upsetting has happened. After the death of someone close to you or going through a big upheaval like your parents splitting up you are likely to feel sadness and grief at the change and loss. If you feel stuck in those feelings and can't move on from them then this can be a sign you are depressed.

How do I know if I'm depressed?

Depression can effect you in lots of different ways.

How you feel:

You might feel overwhelming sadness, guilt, anger, hopelessness. Sometimes people describe just feeling ‘numb'.

How you think:

You may be much more self-critical and blame yourself, think that you're no good at anything, find it much harder to make decisions, and/or find it difficult to concentrate. Sometimes people have thoughts of suicide.

How you behave:

You may find you don't have the motivation to do the things you usually enjoy, you may not want to be around other people, you may cry more than usual.

Physical effects on your body:

Depression has a physical effect too, like sleeping too much or too little, having a lack of energy, overeating or a loss in your appetite, even unexplained aches and pains, all can be a sign of depression.

This sounds like me - what should I do?

We all go through times when we feel low or unhappy. Sometimes we know what has made us feel that way and other times we have no idea. Having a chat to a friend or doing something fun can take your mind off things and the feeling eventually passes by itself. Remember, it's normal to go through times of feeling low – we can't be happy all of the time!

If you notice that you've been feeling really low for weeks at a time and it doesn't seem to be getting any better then you might want to look for some extra support to help you feel okay again.

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