The Little Blue Book

Depression is not the same for all; it affects different people in different ways and there can be many overlapping symptoms. But, if you’ve been feeling low – in a really blue, really dark mood – and the feeling has persisted for more than a few weeks, and it’s getting in the way of your life and in the way you cope with everyday things, you may be suffering depression or showing signs of developing this illness. The common early signs of depression are: • Rising anxiousness, feeling always under pressure, and troubled by things that you may have previously coped with • Feeling overwhelmed, that “everything is getting too much” • Excessively irritable, bothered or angered by little things (at work or at home) • Weighed down with sadness, excessively fragile emotionally and prone to tearfulness (though you may not quite know why) • Not enjoying things you once enjoyed; struggling to find enjoyment in anything • Feeling lonely and isolated, even among the company of others • Drinking heavily, taking illicit drugs or ‘popping pills’ to help you through the low mood you’re feeling Some depression we experience is part of being normal. It is normal to feel down from time-to-time, out-of-sorts, sad, even for extended periods. Because life is filled with the unexpected, and very few of us are cheerful and ‘on top of the world’ all the time. Life, we know, has its ‘ups and downs’. And sometimes there can be very real reasons for feeling down. If you’ve lost a loved one, or suffered a relationship breakdown, feeling depressed is an understandable and perfectly normal human reaction, and, of course, your waking hours will be weighed down with a sadness that may seem never ending. These are normal reactions to the vagaries, set-backs and occasional tragedies of life, and ‘time’ is commonly the healer. And, while it is always best to seek help through counselling and professional support for life traumas of this type, these periods of sadness and depression should not be confused with clinical depression. Depression becomes mental illness when the disorder causes ongoing and persistent changes in mood, behaviour and feelings. Where time is not the healer, but the enemy. And where early intervention and treatment is very important if the symptoms are not going to deepen, and the condition worsen. Deep depression can rapidly progress to suicidal thoughts. Why not pick up the phone and talk to a health professional? feeling down? RECOGNISING DEPRESSION WITHIN YOURSELF RECOGNISING DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND OTHER DISORDERS 70