Depression

Find a counsellor dealing with Depression >>

Feeling depressed is an extremely common psychological disorder that affects almost everyone at one point in their lives. People encounter mild cases of depression every day, feeling sad, angry or lost, however there is a vast difference between feeling down one day and having a depression disorder. Living with depression interferes with the lives of millions of people, affecting the way someone sleeps, eats, works and the way they feel about themselves and their life.

Depression causes extreme emotional pain; individuals with the disorder cannot just get over it and feel better; these feelings can go on for months or even years. There is treatment available for sufferers of this illness, which has proven to be effective, however because sufferers don't often know the symptoms of depression or feel embarrassed and think their feelings will go away, they don't get treated as soon as they could.

Symptoms:

Persistent sad, anxious or empty feelings

Feeling constantly pessimistic

Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness

Loss of interest in hobbies or activities

Tiredness and loss of energy

Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions

Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping

Change in appetite and/or weight loss or weight gain

Thoughts of death or suicide

Persistent physical symptoms, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain

Types of Depression:

Major Depression

Dysthymic Disorder

Bipolar Disorder/Manic Depression

Postnatal Depression

Causes:

Unfortunately, there is not one known cause of depression. A combination of factors is thought to influence its development and it can be the outcome of a variety of lifetime experiences.

Biological Factors

Research has found that some types of depression run in families which suggests there is a genetic link. This is particularly common with Bipolar Disorder and has been found with Major Depression as well.
However, depression also occurs in people who have no family history of the illness.
If a person has an imbalance of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which is a chemical in the brain, their thought process and emotions are likely to be affected which has been thought to contribute to depression.

Psychological Factors

If an individual has certain characteristics such as low self-esteem, constant pessimistic views, negative thought patterns and low confidence, it is thought they are more prone to depression.
Events that weaken a persons self-confidence, for example failures at work and stress at home or school.

Traumatic Factors

The loss of a loved one or death of a parent during childhood increases the chance of a person developing depression in later life.
Being abused, neglected or abandoned during adolescence.
Traumatic experiences, such as moving away, divorce from a partner, losing a job and a family or friend break up.
Discovering you have a serious illness, for example HIV or Cancer.

Hormonal Factors

Lots of people who suffer from depression, especially individuals with severe cases have abnormal production levels of Cortisol (a natural steroid hormone in the body).

Trigger Factors

Unemployment
Loss of a parent, sibling or partner
Traumatic experience
Absence of someone to talk to and confide in

Medical Help and Treatment:

Depression is a highly treatable illness and there is lots of help and advice available once the sufferer decides to seek help. Counselling and psychotherapy are extremely effective ways of treating the disorder if cases are mild to moderate. Drug therapy is also available for more severe situations and there are a variety of antidepressant medications that can be used to treat depressive disorders.

Most sufferers find that a combination of treatment is most effective; the medication gives the sufferer fast relief from the symptoms and the counselling/psychotherapy teaches the individual efficient ways to deal with the problems they have in their life.

Depression Statistics: More Statistics >>

Depression with anxiety is experienced by 9.2 per cent of people in Britain, and depression without anxiety by 2.8 per cent. Overall, depression occurs in 1 in 10 adults or 10 per cent of the population in Britain at any one time, according to the ONS, matching closely figures from other studies. [4] [5] Estimates of lifetime prevalence vary from 1 in 6 to 1 in 4. [6] A summary of studies on more severe depression gives a figure of 1 in 20 people at any one time who suffer major or �clinical� depression. [7]

If these statistics are further broken down it can be seen that women have a higher prevalence of mixed anxiety and depressive disorder than men. The ONS figure for women is 11.2 per cent of the population and for men 7.2 per cent. The figures for 2000, for both women and men, show an increase compared with figures from 1993. Other studies have repeatedly shown a similar, but somewhat higher ratio of roughly 2:1 for women compared to men. [8] However, recent studies suggest depression occurs as often in men though women are twice as likely to be diagnosed and treated. It is argued that men tend to express their symptoms differently, for example, through the use of alcohol and drugs, and are unwilling to admit to the symptoms of depression. [9] It is therefore interesting to note that the figures for men are rising faster than the figures for women. This may indicate that men now are more likely to admit to feeling depressed. (Statistics from Mind.org.uk)

Further Info & Advice

Depression

--
All content displayed on Counselling Directory is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the advice given by any professional.