Depression - Issue Editorial by Foyezjitu

Depression is a common mental disorder that causes people to experience depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy, and poor concentration. Depression is different from feeling down or sad. Unhappiness is something which everyone feels at one time or another, usually due to a particular cause. A person experiencing depression will experience intense emotions of anxiety, hopelessness, negativity and helplessness, and the feelings stay with them instead of going away. Depression can happen to anyone. Many successful and famous people who seem to have everything going for them battle with this problem. Depression also affects people of every age.

Not being able to enjoy things that are usually pleasurable or interesting, Feeling anxious all the time, Avoiding other people, sometimes even your close friends, Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, Sleeping problems - difficulties in getting off to sleep or waking up much earlier than usual, Very strong feelings of guilt or worthlessness, Finding it hard to function at work/college/ school, Loss of appetite, Loss of sex drive and/or sexual problems, Physical aches and pains, Thinking about suicide and death, Self-harm If you experience four or more of these symptoms for most of the day - every day for more than two weeks, you should seek help from your GP. What leads to depression? Depression can happen suddenly as a result of physical illness, experiences dating back to childhood, unemployment, bereavement, family problems or other life-changing events. Examples of chronic illnesses linked to depression include heart disease, back pain and cancer. Pituitary damage, a treatable condition which frequently follows head injuries, may also lead to depression. Sometimes, there may be no clear reason for your depression but, whatever the original cause, identifying what may affect how you feel and the things that are likely to trigger depression is an important first step.

Depression is described as mild when it has a limited negative effect on your daily life. There are several types of depression, some of which are listed below. Mild depression. Depression is described as mild when it has a limited negative effect on your daily life. For example, you may have difficulty concentrating at work or motivating yourself to do the things you normally enjoy. Major depression. Major depression interferes with an individual’s daily life - with eating, sleeping and other everyday activities. Some people may experience only one episode but it is more common to experience several episodes in a lifetime. It can lead to hospital admission,

if the person is so unwell they are at risk of harm to themselves. Bi-polar disorder. The mood swings in bi-polar disorder can be extreme - from highs, where the individual feels extremely elated and indestructible, to lows, where they may experience complete despair, lethargy and suicidal feelings. Sometimes people have very severe symptoms where they cannot make sense of their world and do things that seem odd or illogical. Post-natal depression.

These feelings of anxiety and lack of confidence is distressing but in most cases last only a couple of weeks. Many new mothers experience what are sometimes called ‘baby blues’ a few days after the birth. These feelings of anxiety and lack of confidence are very distressing but in most cases last only a couple of weeks. Post-natal depression is more intense and lasts longer. It can leave new mothers feeling completely overwhelmed, inadequate and unable to cope. They may have problems sleeping, panic attacks or an intense fear of dying. They may also experience negative feelings towards their child. It affects one in ten mothers and usually begins two to three weeks after the birth. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).n SAD is associated with the start of winter and can last until spring when longer days bring more daylight. When it is mild, it is sometimes called ‘winter blues’. SAD can make the sufferer feel anxious, stressed and depressed. It may interfere with their moods and with their sleeping and eating patterns. How do I get help? Talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and some forms of counselling and psychotherapy work well for depression, although you may have to wait to see a therapist on the NHS. You can pay to see someone privately and your GP may be able to recommend someone. Always check that any private therapist is registered with a professional body. There are several different kinds of talking therapy.

Depression is a low mood that lasts for a long time, and affects your everyday life. Depression is a low mood that lasts for a long time, and affects your everyday life. In its mildest form, depression can mean just being in low spirits. It doesn’t stop you leading your normal life but makes everything harder to do and seem less worthwhile. At its most severe, depression can be life-threatening because it can make you feel suicidal or simply give up the will to live. It feels like I’m stuck under a huge grey-black cloud. It’s dark and isolating, smothering me at every opportunity. When does low mood become depression? We all have times when our mood is low, and we’re feeling sad or miserable about life. Usually these feelings pass in due course. But if the feelings are interfering with your life and don’t go away after a cocome back over and over again for a few days at a time, it could be a sign that you’re experiencing depression. It starts as sadness then I feel myself shutting down.

Are there different types of depression? If you are given a diagnosis of depression, you might be told that you have mild, moderate or severe depression. This describes what sort of impact your symptoms are having on you currently, and what sort of treatment you’re likely to be offered. You might move between different mild, moderate and severe depression during one episode of depression or across different episodes. Sometimes it feels like a black hole but sometimes it feels like I need to cry and scream and kick and shout. Sometimes I go quiet and lock myself in my room and sometimes I have to be doing something at all times of the day to distract myself. Depression is a low mood that lasts for a long time, and affects your everyday life. In its mildest form, depression can mean just being in low spirits.

It doesn’t stop you leading your normal life but makes everything harder to do and seem less worthwhile. It doesn’t stop you leading your normal life but makes everything harder to do and seem less worthwhile. At its

most severe, depression can be life-threatening because it can make you feel suicidal or simply give up the will to live. It feels like I’m stuck under a huge grey-black cloud. It’s dark and isolating, smothering me at every opportunity.When does low mood become depression? We all have times when our mood is low, and we’re feeling sad or miserable about life. Usually these feelings pass in due course. But if the feelings are interfering with your life and don’t go away after a couple of weeks, or if they come back over and over again for a few days at a time, it could be a sign that you’re live.

When does low mood become depression? It feels like I’m stuck under a huge grey-black cloud. It’s dark and isolating, smothering me at every opportunity. When does low mood become depression? We all have times when our mood is low, and we’re feeling sad or miserable about life. Usually these feelings pass in due course. But if the feelings are interfering with your life and don’t go away after a couple of weeks, or if they

How many people do you imagine look happy but struggle with depressive thoughts on a daily basis? Typically depressed people are depicted as being bed-ridden and incapable of functioning. What may or may not be surprising is, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 10 percent of the United States population is suffering from depression, which is 10 times more than those suffering from bipolar disorder 1% and schizophrenia 1%. Not everyone experiences depression in the same way. Some might not even realize that they areespecially if they seem like their true feelings. A person could be experiencing sadness about a failed relationship, career challenges, or lacking what they view as a true purpose in life. The sadness might also manifest as a constant, over all feeling that “something just isn’t right.” Other common symp toms of smiling de pression are feelings of anxiety, fear, anger, fatigue, irritability, hopelessness, and despair. Those suf fering from this and other forms of depression may also ex perience problems sleeping, a lack of en joyment in pleasurable activities, and a loss of libido. Everybody’s

experience is different. It’s possible to feel just one or many of these symptoms. Another way to think about smiling depression is to see it as wearing a mask. People suffering from smiling depression may offer no hint of their problem to the outside world. They often maintain a full-time job, run a family household, participate in sports, and have a fairly active social life. With their mask on, everything looks great, even at times perfect. However, underneath the mask they are suffering from sadness, panic attacks, low self-esteem, insomnia, and, in some cases, suicidal thoughts. Suicide can be a particular threat for individuals suffering with smiling depression. Typically, people suffering with classic, severe depression might have suicidal thoughts, but not the energy to act on their feelings. However, those suffering from smiling depression have the energetic ability to plan and follow through. This is why smiling depression can be more dangerous than a classic form of severe depression. If you or anyone you know might be suffering from smiling depression, the good news is help is available. This is one of the most treatable mental health problems. Whether through counseling or psychotherapy, it is possible to successfully navigate out of this state of mind and be freed from the sadness. Your loved one or close friend whom you suspect is suffering from smiling depression may deny it and might even have a negative reaction when you first broach the subject. This is normal. Often people aren’t aware of smiling depression and

the word “depression” might sound too extreme. Keep in mind they may view getting help as a sign of weakness or something only needed by the severely disturbed. In my practice, those the most surprised to realize they’re experiencing some form of depression are those suffering from “smiling depression.” Most people haven’t even heard of the term. The definition of smiling depression is: appearing happy to others, literally smiling, while internally suffering with depressive symptoms. Smiling depression often goes undetected. Those suffering often discount their own feelings and brush them aside. They might not even be aware of their depression, or want to acknowledge their symptoms due to a fear of being considered “weak.” The hallmark of smiling depression is sadness. The smile and external façade is a defense mechanism, an attempt to hide their true feelings. A person could be experiencingcing some form of depression are those suffering from “smiling depression.” Most people haven’t even heard of the term. The definition of smiling depression is: appearing happy to others, literally smiling, while internally suffering with depressive symptoms. Smiling depression often goes undetected. Those suffering often discount their own feelings and brush them aside. They might not even be aware of their depression, or want to acknowledge their symptoms due to a fear of being considered “weak.”

Four in Sixteen people in the UK will experience a mental health problem in any given year.

22% Female suicides

Alcohol & Drug Abuse

Signs & Symptoms Wheel

Anger

Sleep Problems

No concentration

78% Male suicides

Thoughts of Death

Helplessness

Suicide is the act of intentionally taking your own life. Suicidal feelings can range from being preoccupied by abstract thoughts about ending your life, or feeling that people would be better off without you, to thinking about methods of suicide, or making clear plans to take your own life. If you are feeling suicidal, you might be scared or confused by these feelings. But you are not alone. Many people think about suicide at some point in their lifetime. I couldn’t see past the pain. It was a different reality for me. I only knew I wanted the pain to stop, the anguish to go away.

What does it feel like to be suicidal? Everyone’s experience of suicidal feelings is unique to them. You might feel unable to cope with the enduring difficult feelings you are experiencing. You may feel less like you want to die and more like you cannot go on living the life you have. These feelings may build over time or might fluctuate from moment to moment. And it’s common to not understand why you feel this way.

Ask them directly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Are you thinking about suicide?â&#x20AC;? This shows you care.

Listen closely & let them express their feelings. Stay with them or let someone reliable stay with them.

Call Lifeline: 13 11 14 or 000 if life is in serious danger.

Depression is seeing no future, and no answer for any of the problems in your life. When you have depression, nothing is enjoyable. Nothing can make you smile. It feels like you’re a ghost ... not a part of the real world. It’s like drowning ... except you can see everyone around you breathing. Depression is a dark, inescapable place. It’s like being locked in a room with no light, windows or door. It’s so dark you can’t even see your hands in front of your face let alone find a way out. Depression is the inability to construct or envision a future. Slipping into depression feels like falling down a dark bottomless shaft, wondering if and when your fall will ever be caught. And as you look back to where you fell from-which is where you know you need to get back to--you can see it receding further into the distance, the proverbial light becoming dimmer and dimmer, while the shaft into which you are falling becomes deeper, darker, and all the more enveloping. Depression to me is like having your mind replaced by another one that makes me feel worthless and numb to life--even to my own husband and son. It deprives me of feeling anything other than a sense of perpetual sadness, never quite knowing the source of it but knowing that feeling well. Depression has stolen my confidence and now I no longer feel I am worthy of anyone’s love. Depression calls me names and makes me have awful thoughts, and there have been times when depression has won and I’ve taken an overdose. It’s like being stuck in a box that you can’t get out of--a very dark place where you feel so low that even simple tasks are difficult. You feel completely alone. A total loss of who you are. Standing underneath a floor of glass, screaming and banging on it trying to get the attention of the rest of the world going about their lives without you. The problem is no-one can hear you or even knows you’re trapped there. It’s like being stuck in a box that you can’t get out of--a very dark place where you feel so low that even simple tasks are difficult. You feel completely alone. A total loss of who you are.

Depression is like the heart or the mind breaking. Depression is a state in which nothing tastes, smells, or feels right and you are unable to think or make decisions yet you have to carry on doing all those things. And so much of the time you just don’t have the energy or the desire. But you still carry on anyway. The belief that you just don’t matter. Like the death eaters in Harry Potter have caughtyou and sucked all the goodness from you. Swimming through treacle. Multiple emotions: fear, despair, emptiness, numbness, shame, embar rassment and an inability to recognize the fun, happy person you used to be. Depression is losing the desire to partake in life. It’s like trying to breathe when you’re covered in tar. Depression makes you feel like you’re an actor playing you--one that’s always forced to smile. Being depressed sometimes feels like tunnel vision--regardless of anything going on in your life, you can feel miserable and overwhelmed for no reason at all.Nothingness. Cancer of the soul. Torture. It’s just like being inside a wheel that’s spinning and spinning and you don’t know when it’s going to stop. Living in fog all the time--a world without colour or laughter. Like living in a dark tunnel with no light at the end, and no air to breathe no matter how deep a breath you take. Feeling completely alon even if you’re surrounded by people. Complete and utter hopelessness. Living in hell. Like mourning the death of someone you once loved--you. When you look in the mirror you see only dead eyes. There is no spark. No joy. No hope. You wonder how you will manage to exist another day. Trying to keep your head above water when it’s up to your nose. And getting deeper. And you can’t swim. Feeling numb inside. The world and time just passes by and nothing brings you joy. feeling dark, lonely, scared. Sleep is the only escape from your pain. It’s like being a prisoner and the jailer both. Waking up to another disappointing day, and feeling that heaviness in your chest that never goes away. Just wanting to stand in a field

it comes in different forms Depression is a common mental disorder that causes people to experience depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low selfworth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy, and poor concentration. Depression is different from feeling down or sad. Unhappiness is something which everyone feels at one time or another, usually due to a particular cause. A person experiencing depression will experience intense emotions of anxiety, hopelessness, negativity and helplessness, and the feelings stay with them instead of going away. Depression can happen to anyone. Many successful and famous people who seem to have everything going for them battle with this problem. Depression also affects people of every age.

It can be difficult to know if you are depressed and what you can do about it. Half of the people who have depression will only experience it once but for the other half it will happen again. Living with depression is difficult for those who suffer from it and for their family, friends, and colleagues. It can be difficult to know if you are depressed and what you can do about it. Signs and symptoms: Tiredness and loss of energy, Sadness that doesn’t go away, Loss of self-confidence and self-esteem, Difficulty concentrating, Not being able to enjoy things that are usually pleasurable or interesting, Feeling anxious all the time, Avoiding other people, sometimes even your close friends, Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, Sleeping problems - difficulties in getting off to sleep or waking up much earlier than usual, Very strong feelings of guilt or worthlessness, Finding it hard to function at work/college/school, Loss of appetite, Loss of sex drive and/or sexual problems, Physical aches and pains, Thinking about suicide and death,

Self-harm If you experience four or more of these symptoms for most of the day - every day - for more than two weeks, you should seek help from your GP. What leads to depression? Depression can happen suddenly as a result of physical illness, experiences dating back to childhood, unemployment, bereavement, family problems or other life-changing events. Examples of chronic illnesses linked to depression include heart disease, back pain and cancer. Pituitary damage, a treatable condition which frequently follows head injuries, may also lead to depression. Sometimes, there may be no clear reason for your depression but, whatever the original cause, identifying what may affect how you feel and the things that are likely to trigger depression is an important first step.

experience complete despair, lethargy and suicidal feelings. Sometimes people have very severe symptoms where they cannot make sense of their world and do things that seem odd or illogical. Post-natal depression.