Depression

Depression is rapidly becoming one of the biggest causes of illness worldwide. Being depressed is more than just feeling sad or having a low mood. It is not a condition where people can just 'pull themselves together' and get on with things.

Symptoms of depression may include any of the following:

• Feelings of hopelessness
• Inadequacy
• Anxiety
• Self hatred
• Negativity
• An inability to enjoy things which were once pleasurable
• Guilt
• Agitation
• Weight gain/loss
• Loss of energy or motivation
• Loss of sex drive
• Disturbed sleep
• Poor concentration, indecisiveness
• Irritability, anger
• Social withdrawal
• Unexplained aches and pains
• Self harm
• Recurring thoughts of death or suicide

If you experience 5 or more of these symptoms for more than 2 weeks, if you are having suicidal thoughts or if any of these symptoms interfere with work or family activities, consult your GP.

About 1 in 5 people in Scotland will experience depression at some point in their lives. It is a condition which will affect not only the person who is depressed but will also affect those around them.

Depression can impact upon you in a variety of ways and will often have an effect on multiple areas of your life.

Physically you may find changes in your appetite which can lead to weight loss or gain. Similarly your sleep pattern can change, you may be unable to sleep or find yourself sleeping too much, you may feel achy and lacking in energy. Simple tasks like washing or dressing yourself can begin to feel impossible so you may also lose interest in your personal appearance.

Depression can leave you feeling numb, irritable or with a persistent low mood. You may cry a lot or find that you want to cry but are unable to. You may stop enjoying the things you used to take pleasure in doing and become anxious over things that would not usually bother you.

Your way of thinking can be altered by depression. You feel bad about yourself and can lose confidence in your own abilities leaving you with low self esteem. People with depression often become preoccupied with negative thoughts and become unable to feel hopeful about the future.

Depression is a condition which affects people in different ways; this means that the coping strategies people adopt can be very individual. You can seek help from your GP who may offer you a range of options such as antidepressant drugs, counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy.

Exercise works well to release feel good hormones into the body and to increase your energy levels. However, depression can leave you feeling unmotivated or lacking in energy to start with, so you may wish to try relaxing, gentle exercise such as yoga, pilates or walking. The Walk Shetland website may give you some inspiration to get started.

Food is closely linked with your mood. Eating well is by no means an 'instant cure' but it can contribute to keeping your body and your mind healthy.

When you are depressed, being sociable may seem like the last thing you feel like doing, but if you are able to keep family and friends around you then this can help you feel less lonely and more supported. You may just appreciate the company of having someone else there and you don't necessarily have to talk about your depression, but if you do want to tell them how you are feeling, but don't know where to start, you could try writing it down instead.

If you don't feel that there is anyone you know that you can talk to you may benefit from a pen friend scheme such as the one run by Depression Alliance. You can become pen friends with someone who has personal experience of depression and write to each other on a regular basis. If you are interested in joining the pen friend scheme you can:

• Write to Depression Alliance, 20 Great Dover Street, London, SE1 4XL
• Call Depression Alliance on: 0845 123 2320
• Email: information@depressionalliance.org

If you are worried about someone...

If you feel worried that someone you know could be depressed you should look out for visible changes in their appearance, behaviours, mood, attitudes, activity levels and how they talk in conversation.

The best thing you can do to help someone who you suspect is depressed is to encourage them to go to their GP for an assessment and help them to get treatment. They may feel quite frightened or nervous about doing this so it can help if you offer to go with them. However don't be offended if they would rather go on their own. Before the appointment, you may wish to help the person think if there are any questions they would like to ask the doctor. It is a good idea to bring a notebook and pen with you so you can write down the answers to some of these questions. Remind the person that if the doctor says anything they don't understand that its ok to ask for an explanation. It may be useful if the person is able to take leaflets or information away with them, which you can look over together when you get home.

If you know someone who has depression you can help by:

• Checking they are attending their appointments and/or taking their medication.
• Offering emotional support, listen to them, be patient and encouraging.
• Try to include them in activities, perhaps suggest going for a walk or another outing together.
• Don't be pushy or place demands on the person. Too many demands can reinforce negative feelings about failure.
• Don't expect them to get better overnight. With medication most people will recover from depression, but understand that this takes time.

If someone you know is Depressed, you may feel unsure about how you should approach them. The following are ideas of things which are helpful and unhelpful for the person to hear.

Helpful things to say...

• You are not alone in this.
• You are important to me.
• Do you want a hug?
• You are not going mad.
• When all this is over, I'll still be here and so will you.
• I can't really understand what you are feeling, but I can offer my compassion.
• I'm not going to leave you, or abandon you.
• I love you (if you mean it).
• I'm sorry that you are in so much pain.

Unhelpful things you shouldn't say...

• There's always someone much worse off than you are.
• No one ever said that life was fair.
• Stop feeling sorry for yourself.
• So, you're depressed. Aren't you always?
• Try not to be so depressed.
• It's your own fault.
• I think your depression is a way of punishing us.
• Haven't you grown tired of all this me, me, me stuff yet?
• Believe me, I know how you feel, I was depressed once for several days!
• Have you tried chamomile tea?

Related Issues

People who are experiencing problems with Depression may also be facing problems in other areas of their lives. The topics listed below may be of interest to you:

• Alcohol & Drugs
• Employment
• Social Issues
• Relationship Issues
• Discrimination
• Suicide
• Self Harm