What Happens When We Are Depressed

When you suffer from depression, you may not just feel low; a number of other symptoms can also affect you:

1. Appetite: You may lose your appetite or develop a tendency for overeating.
2. Concentration: You may have difficulty focusing on things such as listening to music, watching television, reading books, or talking to other people.
3. Energy: You may feel tired all the time, have little energy and not be bothered to do things, or do them only with a lot of effort on your part.
4. Interest: You may lose interest in hobbies and sex, and find that nothing really gives you pleasure anymore.
5. Movement: You or other people may notice that you’re moving or speaking much slower than you used to. Or, you may be more fidgety or restless, moving around much more than usual.
6. Self-worth: You may feel that you’ve let yourself or other people down and feel bad about yourself. You may see yourself as a failure.
7. Sleep: You may find getting to sleep difficult, or you wake up once or more times in the middle of the night or too early in the morning. Alternatively, you may find that you sleep too much, and struggle to get up.
8. Thoughts of self-harm: You may have thoughts that you’d be better off dead, that the world would be better off without you or that life is just not worth living anymore. Or, you may think that you want to hurt yourself in some other way. Such thoughts can be very distressing.

If you recognise any of the above symptoms in yourself-particularly if they’ve been going on for a couple of weeks or longer, or they’re severe, consult your psychiatrist without delay. Various treatments, including talking therapies and medication, are available to you and can be very effective in getting you back on track.

Common reasons for feeling low

If you feel low, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you suffer from depression. Here are some other common causes of low mood-which may at times turn into a ‘full’ depression:

1. Bereavement and major life events: A time of mourning is a natural reaction to the death of someone close, and you’re bound to feel low for a while, often for weeks, months or even years. Sometimes, other life events such as getting divorced or losing your job can lead to a period of feeling low. Seek medical advice when the death of a close person is affecting you more than you’d expect or when you find that getting back on with your day-to-day life is difficult.
2. Illness: Many infectious diseases and chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and osteo- or rheumatoid arthritis can be accompanied by symptoms of depression. If your depressive symptoms last for longer than a couple of weeks or they’re very severe, consult your psychiatrist.
3. Medication: Certain drugs such as the oral contraceptive pill and blood pressure lowering medication can sometimes make you feel depressed. Check the information sheets that come with any medication that you take for possible effects on your mood, and consult your psychiatrist if you’re concerned.
4. Stress: Feeling overworked or under pressure at home or work can bring on stress and low mood, particularly when this situation has been going on for a while.

Taking the first step towards getting help if you suffer from symptoms of depression can take a bit of courage. You’ve got a very good chance of getting better after receiving appropriate treatment, and your psychiatrist should be the first port of call.