Everything you need to know about depression

Depression is much more than simple unhappiness. It is a cruel disease that shows its symptoms through a mood and functionality. It is very easy for a person to slide down the black hole of depression where the symptoms feed off of each other. Depression can affect anyone, even those who appear to live in relatively ideal circumstnaces. The main symptom of depression is a sad, despairing mood that is present most days and lasts most of the day.

Other symptoms of depression include:

• changes in appetite

• trouble sleeping or sleeping too much

• loss of interest

• withdrawal from family members and friends

• feeling useless, hopeless, excessively guilty, pessimistic or having low self-esteem

• irritability

• tiredness and lack of energy

• difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions

• crying easily or feeling like crying

• focusing on past mistakes or bad experiences

• thoughts of suicide (which should always be taken seriously)

All of the above may interfere with a person`s everyday activities and impair the performance at work or in social relationships. Negative recurring thoughts, such as `It`s all my fault`, `Life isn't worth living or `What`s the point`, are yet another telltale sign of depression. As every person is unique, he/she will respond differently when exposed to environmental, social or psychological triggers. A general question to ask is: `is my mood a reaction to something?` It’s very normal for our mood to dip in response to difficult life events: a bereavement, loss of a job, a relationship break down, and so on. In such situations, low mood is a pre-programmed response to an environmental trigger. Depression is a condition of the mind, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to understand. There are several different types of depression:

• Seasonal affective disorder (SAD): depression that comes and goes in a seasonal pattern.

• Postpartum depression: depression occurring after pregnancy.

• Major depressive disorder (MDD): characterised by intense or overwhelming symptoms that last longer than two weeks. These symptoms are likely to interfere with everyday life.

• Persistent depressive disorder: depression that occurs long-term but its symptoms are less severe than those of other types of depression.

• Melancholic depression: includes physical as well as emotional symptoms.

• Psychotic depression: includes hallucinations, delusions (beliefs in things that are not based in reality) and paranoia (feeling suspicious of other people or feeling that everyone is against them).

Knowing about the causes and risk factors for depression can help you understand why the disorder occurs and how to deal with it. Online therapy can help with depression and bring back the pleasure of life and enjoyment.