Self-help, support and skills for recovery

Depression

What is depression?

Depression is a common mental health problem. Up to one in four females and one in six males will suffer from depression at some time. It is a serious disorder that can range in intensity from mild to severe.

Depression may be diagnosed if a person has experienced a depressed mood, nearly every day, for at least 2 weeks, and/or is feeling a loss of interest or pleasure in most activities, however the onset of major depression may be preceded by weeks or months of low mood. Depression is generally described as feelings of constant sadness and hopelessness, and this may be expressed by frequent tearfulness and broodiness. Some people also have strong and excessive feelings of worthlessness and guilt. Depression may be accompanied by irritability, low frustration tolerance and increased anxiety. Somatic symptoms include physical aches and pains (headaches and muscle or joint aches), physical/emotional feelings of agitation, restlessness, slowness, lethargy and fatigue. Depression may significantly affect social, family and intimate relationships as sufferers may withdraw from social interactions and activities. Other common symptoms are insomnia, diminished capacity to concentrate, and changes in appetite leading to weight gain or weight loss. At its most severe, depression may lead to thoughts of suicide, and suicide attempts.

The link between negative thinking and emotional distress

Depression casts a fog of negativity over thoughts and feelings, and leads to distortions of thinking that often can be a major cause of emotional distress.

A psychiatrist called Aaron Beck is well known for his work in the area of depression. Beck researched the role of cognitions (thoughts) in depression and found three common types of thinking:

  1. a negative view of self - feeling defective, deprived or inadequate;
  2. a tendency to view all situations and interactions as negative even in the face of other plausible explanations; and
  3. consistently viewing the future in a negative way, including predictions of future failures and problems.

Understanding the key role of negative thinking as a cause of depressed mood is important - it means depression is not just emotions and an imbalance in neurotransmitters - which both seem not directly under your control. Depression is also to do with thinking patterns - which you are able to do something about, once you learn to become aware of your thoughts, what they mean, and how to change them.

Intense negative thinking always occurs in a depressive episode. It is important to be aware that self-image during periods of low mood is highly likely not to be an accurate picture - but rather a reflection of distorted thinking patterns that negativity gives rise to. Distortions may include overgeneralising, filtering out any positives, magnifying or minimising the importance of things and emotional reasoning.

Depression is not something to feel ashamed of, and does not make you a weak or inadequate person. It is also not just a mood that is easy to snap out of. Depression is a common mental health problem and has many different interacting causes. Importantly, depression does not have to be a permanent state - recovery is possible with appropriate treatments and support.

Treatment

Treatment of depression may include both antidepressants and psychological treatments. Treatment with medication on its own may provide alleviation of symptoms, however the depression may return when the treatment is stopped. Relapse rates for people treated only with antidepressants is much higher than for people who use a combination of medication and psychological therapy, or psychological therapy alone. Psychological therapies for depression provide an opportunity to work through difficulties and develop skills and strategies that will change the negative thinking patterns associated with depression. Effective psychological treatments for depression include cognitive behavioural therapy and interpersonal therapy. Engaging in these types of treatment interventions may help to decrease reliance on medication.

Self-help

Some good self-help books which will help with building up self-help strategies are:

Help on the web can be found at:

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