Depression
Most people feel miserable now and then, most often when something upsetting or stressful is happening such as redundancy or a relationship break-up.
Feeling depressed in response to a difficult situation is appropriate and normal. Usually the feelings diminish over time.
It is when the feelings of sadness or flatness are intense and persistent – even when the situation has improved - that there may be a problem with depression.
Also, a person can persistently or frequently feel down without really understanding why. We look around to try to attach how we feel to some event or experience but we cannot. Therapy helps us to understand what this is actually about and to heal the problem.
The experience of depression is different for each person but common symptoms of include:
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Consistently feeling down, sad or hopeless
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Having little interest or pleasure in things you used to enjoy
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Feeling restless or lacking in energy
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Feelings of emptiness and loneliness
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Sleep disturbance
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Thinking about death
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Being overwhelmed by small things
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Emotional. Prone to crying
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Agitation and irritability.
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Prone to anger or anxiousness
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Reduced sex-drive
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Apathy. Not wanting to get out of bed.
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Weight gain or loss