Depression.

Posted by admin on April 13th, 2009 filed in General

Depression.

Depression is a word that is misused a lot. It is not a mental illness – it is a temporary state of mind very different from the illness of clinical depression. Perhaps you have fallen out with your boyfriend, you are not happy in your present job, you can’t afford that fabulous new dress you want or you are simply having a bad hair day!  These kinds of things put us into a low mood and any combination of events which disappoint or upset us continually can eventually affect our mental health if we do not deal with them in a positive and optimistic way. It is all about helping yourself – change your job, get a new boyfriend, wear something in your wardrobe that you know is flattering. Spoil yourself, eat some chocolate – whatever it takes to lift your mood. Realise that it is very unrealistic to expect to be happy all the time – life is not like that. Remember it is not what happens to us but how we deal with it that determines how happy or unhappy we are in life. So we can all get depressed from time to time but this is very different from the illness of clinical depression. This is a serious condition where you sink into a trough of continuous low mood from which you can’t see any way out. You probably have feelings of despair and hopelessness and even suicidal thoughts. You may not bother to get out of bed in the morning and completely neglect your personal appearance and hygiene. You may cut yourself off from your friends and family. If this carries on for a continuous period of time, you must accept that this is an illness requiring medical intervention and medication and with the right treatment you will get well again. It is not a weakness or something to be ashamed of, so make sure you seek treatment sooner rather than later.

G Davie

anxiety help