Help for Depression and Low Mood

WHAT CAUSES DEPRESSION?

Depression is a very common condition that presents itself in various ways and for various reasons. 3.3 out of every 100 people* is reported to have some form of depression, with 7.8 out of every 100 people* having a mix of depression and anxiety.  There are generally two ways depression can be diagnosed:

Endogenous Depression is the result of an internal biological source, so can appear for no visible reason.

Exogenous Depression which occurs as a result of a trigger or trauma in our lives.

ARE THERE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEPRESSION?

There are lots of different types of depression we can experience, the list below explains the symptoms of each type, not for self-diagnosis, but to help you understand more about depression. 

• Unipolar Depression - Feeling consistently melancholic with no ‘highs’ or uplift in mood. 

• Bipolar Disorder - Extreme highs and lows which can be experienced at a quick rate of change or over a longer period of time. Bipolar has a high suicide rate if left untreated. This is a clinical condition that will require medication supported by counselling to help to reach a good life balance.

• Major Depression - Feeling down, apathetic about life and disinterested in activities we used to enjoy. The diagnosis factors in time and you can only be diagnosed with major depression if you have consistently felt this way for more than 2 weeks.

• Mild Depression - Certain stressors causing depressive feelings. Day to day life feels harder and life seems unfulfilled. 

• Atypical Depression - Similar to major depression but we do feel happiness which is followed by fatigue. We may experience excessive sleeping and be prone to overeating. We find that external events control our mood. 

• Persistent Depressive Disorder - Long term feelings of sadness and melancholy. With persistent depressive disorder, we are less aware of the condition because we see it as a normal part of our life.  We can feel unimportant or dissatisfied with life and find little enjoyment in anything. This also can feature bouts of major depression. 

• Psychotic Depression - Experience of hallucinations and hearing things that aren’t real. These tend to be of a frightening or negative nature. 

• Seasonal Affective Disorder Mood swings during the different seasons of the year, usually resulting in feeling low in the winter months. 

• Postnatal Depression A condition that can happen soon after childbirth, postnatal depression usually begins during the first 4 to 6 weeks after childbirth but can occur slightly earlier or later. Sufferers may experience persistently swinging moods and a lack of interest in both themselves and their baby. They may also have less energy and low sex drive but these symptoms can be hard to recognise as they are also not uncommon after giving birth.

• Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder Severe irritability depression or anxiety that occurs 1-2 weeks prior to menstruation.  The symptoms improve within a few days of the start of the period and subside for the rest of the cycle.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION?

 Symptoms of depression can be split into physical, behavioural, emotional and cognitive function. They can include but are not limited to the following symptoms: 

Physical Symptoms

• Headaches

• Stomach aches

• Inexplicable aches or pains that have no other physical basis for their presence

• Fatigue & loss of energy

• Alterations to normal eating patterns by eating more or less than usual 

• Alterations in sleep patterns which may include sleeping more or less than usual

Behavioural Symptoms 

• Reduced interest in activities

• Reduced enjoyment of activities

• Reduced ability and difficulties in concentrating

• Difficulties making decisions that we could make before

• Neglecting responsibilities

• Neglecting personal appearance

Emotional and Cognitive Symptoms

• Apathy

• Irritability 

• Pessimism

• Hopelessness

• Negativity

• Guilt

• Anxiety

• Suicidal thoughts of any type

• Strongly negative thoughts in relation to yourself or others

• Feeling worthless and that there’s little point to life

• Crying excessively

• Feeling numb emotionally

• Rage

• Feeling like you have nothing to give

COUNSELLING FOR DEPRESSION

Depression is very common but also individual to each person. A lot of people can benefit from psychotherapy or medication and many people find combining both extremely helpful. 

Counselling can help to draw correlations with your past and help you challenge depressive thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Your counsellor will help you look towards the future and set achievable targets, which in itself can be freeing and gives a sense of moving forward. 

COUNSELLING FOR LOW MOOD

Low mood can occur throughout our lives for a number of reasons such as; low self-esteem, a negative situation or critical self-talk. Counselling can help you challenge any patterns from past situations, thoughts, feelings or behaviours and develop strategies to move forward with a better overall mood. 

*Information sourced from Mind.org.uk