Whilst it can sometimes be stigmatised and associated with failure, inadequacy or a lack of self-determination, depression is all around us and is likely to be experienced by many people that you interact with on a day-to-day basis. Like all mental-health issues, its causes are complex and can be experienced by many different people in different ways. According to psychiatrist, Dr Michael Plopper:
“Depression can manifest itself in different ways in different people. A sad mood is the most common manifestation of depression, but there are some other signs in other people”.
For the majority of the mental-health community, depression is considered to be the combination of at-least five depressive symptoms for a period of two weeks. These symptoms can include: feelings of sadness, feeling socially-isolated, sleeping too much or too little, anger, irritability, anxiety and unexplained aches and pains. It can affect anyone of all ages, backgrounds and ethnicities at any time, and can also be triggered by a range of factors such as chemical imbalance in the brain, hormonal-changes and the impact of medications.
If you feel you’re suffering from depression, it’s advisable to seek help as soon as possible, as its effects can become more severe if left untreated. Your doctor will be able to sign-post you to services that are accessible through the NHS, and there are many therapists who practice privately if you’d prefer to take that approach.
However in the meantime you can make pro-active changes to your lifestyle in order to reduce its effects, and this can include seemingly punitive measures such as getting more exercise, eating healthily, exposing yourself to m ore natural light and avoiding mood altering substances such as alcohol and caffeine.