Depression

‘Depression’ is a word that’s casually tossed around in daily life but what does it actually mean?

What is depression?

Feeling sad is a common way of describing depression, but there are different types:

Mild to moderate depression - We all feel down in the dumps from time to time, but when these feelings start to affect our day-to-day lives or if they come back on a regular basis, it could be a sign of depression. It can be a reaction to something in our life that’s making us unhappy, or sometimes there doesn’t seem to be any reason, but it can make it harder to cope with everyday things like sleeping, eating, working and socialising.

Severe or clinical depression - The same kinds of feelings and difficulties occur in clinical depression, but they become more severe and longer-lasting, sometimes leading to suicidal feelings or losing the will to live.

Bi-polar disorder - Sometimes called ‘manic depression’, people with bi-polar disorder swing from feelings of extreme highs to extreme lows.

What are the symptoms?

There are lots of symptoms related to depression, and it can show up both physically and mentally. Everybody's different but if you're depressed you might:

• have trouble sleeping.
• feel tired or lack the energy to do everyday things.
• notice changes in your appetite.
• find it hard to concentrate.
• lose self-esteem.
• feel agitated or restless.
• lose interest in looking after yourself: you might not bother to shave or wash your hair.
• have feelings of guilt or worthlessness.
• find you have less interest in sex.
• lose interest in seeing friends or family AND men can be affected in different ways to women. You might:
  • feel irritable or angry.
  • lose control.
  • take more risks than you used to
  • feel aggressive to the people around you.

These are just a few of the things that can happen when you're depressed, but everyone reacts in different ways. You might have any one of these things and more, along with a general feeling of sadness.

How do you get depression?

Feeling down can be a normal reaction to things happening in our lives, like losing a family member or a job – 1 in 7 men who become unemployed develop depression within six months. But sometimes we can get stuck feeling sad and it doesn’t seem to get better. Depression affects 1 in 6 of us at some point in our lives, and although men might find it harder to seek help, recent studies have shown that it occurs just as often in men as women. There’s no one cause of depression. It could be the way we are made or circumstances in our lives, but it varies from person to person and can be a combination of several things, both in our past and present.

What can you do about it?

The traditional idea of men as tough and independent can make it hard to talk about how you’re feeling, but remember that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. There are few options that you can consider:

Self-help - Understanding more about depression can be a big help – just by reading this leaflet you’ve taken the first step. There’s a massive range of self-help accessible and cheap resources, including books, tapes and websites -just make sure they come from reliable sources. Self-help can be difficult because of the very nature of depression, so don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Drugs - In some cases of depression, a doctor will prescribe drugs that change the levels of different chemicals in the brain to ease symptoms. There are different types of antidepressant drugs (Tricyclic, SSRIs, SNRIs and MAOIs) that come with different side effects -check it out with your GP. Some commonly prescribed drugs include: Prozac and Seroxat (SSRIs), Anafranil (Tricyclic), St John's Wort, based on plant extracts and used in mild depression. Drugs are often used to ease the symptoms of depression so that you can find out what’s causing it.

Therapy - Simply talking about how you’re feeling can help. Talking to friends or family can be difficult, so therapy’s another option. It can be group or one-to-one, and can be with a trained counsellor, a psychologist or a psychiatrist. Some people choose to have therapy privately, which can be expensive, but you can get therapy through the NHS and voluntary organisations.

More information

1. The Edinburgh Psychology Centre can help you. Contact us on 0131-668-1440 to find out more or to arrange an initial session.
2. Alternatively you may wish to speak to your GP who should be able to refer you to someone suitable.
3. See our links at www.edinburghtherapy.co.uk/links.htm for details of organisations who may be able to provide assistance or information.

Click here for a pdf version of this depression information sheet.

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