Help me out - depression and feeling down
Find out more about feeling low, depression and how it can affect people.
Everyone feels sad sometimes
Feeling sad every now and then is a natural way of our bodies and minds letting us know when things are going well for us or not. We all react in different ways to the things that happen to us (both big and small), from being tearful and needing a cuddle to feeling like you want to sit in your room on your own, or to just being in a sulky bad mood. While most of us just need to resolve it, or just take some time to get over it, others may feel down in a way that doesn鈥檛 seem to get better. If that down feeling doesn鈥檛 shift, gets worse, or you feel despairing and hopeless, it may be depression.
The difference between feeling down and depression
There is a big difference between feeling down and having depression. Feeling down isn鈥檛 much fun, it might take a good cry, chat or a cuddle to make you feel better but it does pass. However, if you feel down all the time, have low energy or dark thoughts that don鈥檛 shift, then you may have the symptoms of depression. Depression is something all sorts of people can experience at any point in their lives. It鈥檚 nothing to be ashamed of, or embarrassed about, but it鈥檚 extremely important to get help as it鈥檚 not something you can beat on your own.
Chavala talks about what depression means
Recognising the signs of depression
You may be depressed if you experience more than two or three of the following:
Worried that you might never feel happy again
Crying a lot of the time
Getting angry over small things that perhaps wouldn鈥檛 normally bother you
Not wanting to see friends or be around others
Not enjoying life, especially things you usually like to do
Lack of motivation - getting dressed or showered becomes a chore
Feeling worthless or useless
Feeling anxious
Feeling numb all the time
Being unable to sleep
Sleeping more than usual
Having low energy and feeling tired
Change in appetite
Poor memory or find it difficult to concentrate
Feeling like there鈥檚 no point to anything
How do you get depression?
There are lots of reasons that people suffer from depression. It could be that you鈥檙e under some kind of stress or pressure, or you鈥檝e experienced something bad or some kind of trauma, while other times people may feel depressed and can鈥檛 find a reason why - it just feels that way. Lots of people struggle with these sorts of issues, so you鈥檙e not on your own; in fact what you鈥檙e going through is common. The important thing is that there are many ways you can get help and get through it.
If a family member suffers with depression it doesn鈥檛 automatically mean you will develop it. Lots of factors affect the development of depression.
Dr Aaron's tips for feeling better
Ways to get better and feel happy
Talk to someone - a parent or guardian, a relative, a friend or school counsellor. You might feel like you are on your own, but speaking to someone you trust can help.
Look after yourself. Taking care of your physical health can have a positive impact on your mental health 鈥 so try and exercise, sleep well and eat a balanced diet.
Keep a diary. Writing down your feelings can help clear your head and offload negative thoughts.
Takes some risks. If you鈥檙e staying locked away because you鈥檙e feeling sad 鈥 try doing something social, playing a sport, or meeting some new people. If you wait until you 鈥渇eel like it鈥 it may never happen, so you may need to push yourself a bit.
If you still feel overwhelmed, you may need to go to your doctor/GP, he or she can refer you to a trained professional.
Finally, it鈥檚 really important to remember that having depression is not your fault. And getting help is nothing to be ashamed of. It might seem like you鈥檒l never feel happy again, but with help you should start to feel better in time.
For information about organisations which can offer more advice on a range of issues, check out the advice helplines page.
Find out what makes the Lifebabblers and celebs feel down, or do our 'how happy are you?' quiz.听
And for loads more about all kinds of emotions head to the Lifebabble guide to feeling good.