Depression is a very common experience. Everyone feels fed up, sad or miserable sometimes. Often the reason for our depressed state is obvious – a physical illness, a bereavement or loss, examination stress, worries over work deadlines, a disappointment over a relationship, but sometimes, we feel blue or moody without really knowing why.

When depression is more severe than we expect, or goes on and on, we may need to seek help. This is particularly true when it starts to affect our studies or work, our relationships with friends, peers and family or if we begin to think that people may be better off without us.

Symptoms of Depression

At any given time one person in twenty is thought to be affected by depression while one in three of us will experience an attack at least once in our lifetime. It often goes undiagnosed.

If you have been experiencing a combination of some of the symptoms below over more than a couple of weeks then it would be wise for you to seek professional help:

• loss of interest and enjoyment in life
• impaired concentration
• lack of drive and motivation making even simple tasks difficult
• loss of energy and fatigue
• loss or gain in appetite or weight
• sleeplessness (insomnia) or excessive sleeping (hypersomnia)
• lack of interest in sex
• irritability or restlessness
• feelings of worthlessness or guilt
• feeling worse at a particular time of day, usually mornings
• thoughts of suicide - common in depression and a certain sign that help is needed

It is very common for depression to overlap with states of anxiety, stress and panic and there are a number of things you can do to help yourself as well as consulting a counsellor and/or GP.

Helping Yourself

Be kind to yourself. Try not to blame yourself for things you may not be achieving or add to the sense of worthlessness which you may already have. Remember that you are going through something which many people have suffered and that you will eventually come out of it, even if does not feel like it right now. You will probably emerge stronger and wiser for the experience!

Talk to someone. Try telling someone how you feel, a counsellor or doctor or friend. You may have had some recent upset in your life which you need to share - to cry over or get angry about. Or you may not know what exactly is troubling you right now. Perhaps someone else can help you to work it out.

Diet and exercise. Try to eat a good balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, even if you do not feel like it. It will not help to take refuge in alcohol or drugs. Relief afforded by alcohol is only temporary - it actually depresses mood and is only likely to exacerbate your problems. Do get out of doors for a walk or take some other form of exercise. This will help you to keep fit, take your mind off feelings or thoughts which may be going round in your head, and help you to sleep better.

Avoid or reduce stress. Think about managing your time, try to plan ahead so that you spread the load of tasks more evenly. Are you the sort of person who normally says ‘yes’ to everything? Can you delegate or simply accept that you may need help and that you just cannot do it right now?

Relaxation techniques. There are a variety of relaxation techniques you can use, see our self help page. If you are not sleeping well try not to lie there worrying about it - get up and do something you find relaxing (reading, listening to music). Keep to a regular pattern of waking or sleeping whether you are tired or not, resist the temptation to catch up on a bad night during the day. Milky drinks and relaxation before bedtime might help but avoid coffee, tea or a lot of alcohol.

Achieving something. If you are not able to work to your normal capacity, try to achieve something in a day however small. The morning may well be your worst time of day. It may help to list some achievable goals (e.g. going to the shop, visiting a friend, reading a chapter of a book) and aim to do at least two. At the end of the day, give yourself credit for the things you have achieved - do not berate yourself for the things you have not done! Take one day at a time.

Relating to others. If you are feeling low yourself, it can be hard to relate to others. Unfortunately, what we ‘give out’ is sometimes what we get back from other people. In the long run it doesn’t help if you vent your anger on the wrong person. If you can be agreeable to others, which does not mean having to repress all your feelings!, you are far more likely to get a positive response.

Consulting your GP

If your depression is severe or goes on a long time your GP may prescribe medication to alleviate symptoms such as anxiety or sleeplessness. Concerns you have about antidepressants and other medication should always be addressed with your doctor. Antidepressants do not normally take effect immediately and you may have to wait a couple of weeks before noticing real results. Remember that medication is not a substitute for talking about your feelings of depression or exploring its possible causes.

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