- WHAT EXACTLY IS DEPRESSION?
- WHAT ARE ITS SYMPTOMS?
- HOW CAN IT BE TREATED?
- CAN IT BE TREATED?
Depression is more than just feeling down, unhappy, not motivated. Everyone has days feeling this but when a person is depressed he or she feels this way for days, weeks, even months on end with no end in sight. Depression is an illness, it is not something that you can quickly 'snap out of' or 'get over'. However, help can be given to help manage depression and even function on a daily basis without even being aware of being depressed.
But how to tell if you, or a family member, has depression and how bad is it? Unfortunately depression affects everyone differently from losing interest in things around you or that you used to enjoy, to feelings of hopelessness and not having the energy to lift even a foot off the ground. Then there is mild, moderate and severe depression. There are social, psychological and physical symptoms to consider when determining whether you or a family member has depression. Below are just a few examples but this no way a complete list. A consult with your GP is necessary to be fully diagnosed.
Physical
- Slow in your movements or speech
- Continuously having disturbed sleep
- Changes within the menstrual cycle
- Digestive system is affective
- Appetite changes – an increase or even a decrease and lack of interest in food.
Social
- Poor performance at work
- Difficulties in/out of the home with family and peers
- No longer have an interest in hobbies
- No longer active in social events.
Psychological
- Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, guilt, or even tearful
- Low self-esteem
- Have low tolerance levels, more than usual
- Anxious or worried all the time
- Thoughts of self-harm or suicide
- Unable to make decisions