Understanding Depression
Sadness is a normal part of daily life. We all experience it due to various factors — loss, job changes, relationship difficulties, or life transitions. However, depression differs from temporary sadness in both duration and severity.
Depression can be short-term or long-term, and it affects individuals differently. Some symptoms may appear without meeting the criteria for clinical depression, but when these feelings begin impacting your daily functioning, it's time to seek support.
Recognising the Signs
According to the American Psychiatric Association, common symptoms of depression include:
- Feeling sad or having a persistently depressed mood
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you once enjoyed
- Changes in appetite or weight unrelated to dieting
- Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
- Loss of energy or increased fatigue
- Physical restlessness or noticeably slowed movements and speech
- Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt
- Difficulty thinking, concentrating, or making decisions
- Thoughts of death or suicide
When to Seek Help
For a diagnosis of depression, symptoms typically need to persist for at least two weeks and represent a change from your previous level of functioning. However, you don't need to meet clinical criteria to benefit from therapy.
If depression is affecting your ability to work, maintain relationships, or enjoy life, reaching out for support is a brave and important step.
How Therapy Can Help
Through therapy, we can work together to understand the root causes of your depression, develop healthy coping strategies, and gradually rebuild a sense of hope and purpose. Evidence-based approaches like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) have proven highly effective in treating depression.
