Depression and Mood Difficulties

Depression is a mood disorder and varies greatly in the feelings that it brings, its severity and the effect it has on a person. At times it can occur suddenly or develop gradually  over many years in a mild form. A period of depression is often triggered by a difficult life event or during a period of stress.

Depression may bring feelings of fatigue, lack of energy, motivation, interest or pleasure. Others may experience feelings of guilt, failure, hopelessness and despair.

Many people experience varying combinations of all these different feelings. Other symptoms include an increase or decrease in appetite; Sleep disturbance; inability to concentrate, and recurrent thoughts of death and/or suicide. Whatever form it takes, depression can have a significant effect on a person’s work, relationships, health and overall sense of wellbeing.

For some people, psychological therapies are effective in resolving depression. For others, a combination of therapy and medication is more effective. Effective depression treatment may help you:

1.   Work through the reasons you have become depressed.
2.   Safely express feelings and emotions that you may be avoiding or repressing.
3.   Rebuild areas of your life that may have suffered as a result of depression
4.   Learn necessary coping skills to reduce the impact of your symptoms on your life, building a lasting resilience to depression.

“Hope begins in the dark, the dawn will come. Wait, watch and work, don’t give up. There is light at the end of the tunnel.