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The Lowdown On Depression
Depression is a word that can mean different things to different people. We’ve all felt sad at different points in our lives.
But if the sadness doesn’t go away and becomes overwhelming, it is important to seek help. The good news is that depression is treatable.
Signs and Symptoms
- Sadness
- Feeling preoccupied with failures, inadequacies and a loss of self esteem
- Feeling of uselessness, hopelessness, guilt
- Slowed thinking, forgetfulness, difficulty in concentrating and in making decisions
- Loss of interest in work, hobbies, people
- Feeling isolated and alone
- Feeling lethargic or agitated and irritable
- Changes in appetite (sleeping too little or too much)
- Changes in sleep (sleeping too little or too much)
- Decreased sexual drive
- Suicidal thoughts
Take a Quick Depression Symptom Test
Depression is Misunderstood
Depression can take many forms. It’s sadness, but also self-blaming, guilt, poor concentration, sleep disturbance, poor memory, inability to enjoy things, hopelessness, low energy, irritability, change in appetite, increased alcohol or drug use, self isolation and often suicidal thoughts or plans.
It is important to stress what depression is not. It is not some kind of “weakness”, something you can just “snap out of”. There are changes in the chemistry of the brain in depression where the levels of certain brain chemicals called “neurotransmitters” are reduced in depression. Using a brain scan called “functional magnetic resonance imaging” we can now see that parts of the brain that are involved in the control of moods are less active in depression and that these areas return to normal with successful treatment.
Depression is Treatable
There are two main ways of treating depression: one is psychotherapy (counselling) and the other is medication.
Antidepressants have received some bad press over the years, but when used appropriately, they are very effective in treating depression.
“When I first saw my counsellor, I was suffering from another spell of depression and anxiety that made me feel miserable, hopeless, inadequate, angry and sceptical just about anything in life. From the get-go, my counsellor had a no-nonsense approach to my problem and helped me deal with the cause of my issues rather than the consequences.”
Robert, Employee
Broken Legs Don’t Fix Themselves
Try to think of depression the way you would any other illness, like a broken leg or pneumonia. Most of us wouldn’t try to wait out those illnesses hoping they’ll just go away. If you feel you have any symptoms of depression, talk to your Source Line Counsellor or your doctor. The sooner you do, the sooner you can feel better.