All About Depression

This page is dedicated to providing clear, accessible information on what depression is, its causes, and practical guidance for those who are struggling or those who are concerned about a loved one.

What is Depression?

It is a normal experience for people to feel sad or a bit down and have off days however sometimes people may become depressed. Depression is unfortunately a common distressing experience that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think, and how you act. It causes feelings of sadness and a loss of interest in things you once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person’s ability to function in everyday life such as going to school or seeing friends.

Signs of Depression:

Sadness or feeling numb for an extended period of time
Not wanting to do things you would normally enjoy such as your hobbies or seeing friends
Not feeling as hungry as you normally do and you might loose weight or the opposite where you are more hungry than usual
Trouble falling or staying asleep or sleeping too much, you may experience more nightmares
Feeling more tired than usual
Difficulty concentrating, making decisions, or thinking clearly
Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
Physical symptoms such as headaches or stomachaches without a clear cause
Feeling that things won't or can't get better
Thoughts of wanting to die, hurting yourself or ending your life

Causes of Depression:

Depression can be a way for our body to communicate that something is wrong. When we put our hand on something really hot our body will feel pain as a way to communicate that something is wrong and we need to move our hand so we don't get burned. Depression can also be a way to communicate something is wrong which could be a number of various factors.

There is a common misconception that depression is solely caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain or due to genetics, however, that is simply not the case. This was just a theory but has never actually been proven. There are a variety of biological, psychological and social factors that can lead to someone becoming depressed.

Examples of psychological factors that can lead to depression are adverse childhood experiences, having a dysregulated nervous system, having more negative belief and thought patterns, hormonal imbalances, poor coping strategies, struggling to set boundaries, having nightmares, poor sleep, dealing with flashbacks, experiencing trauma and having chronic levels of high stress which can lead to people struggling to regulate their emotions and so much more.

Examples of social factors are poor relationships which may be linked to early experiences as a child, social isolation or feeling alone, financial stress, living in poverty and significant life changes or loss such as a loved one dying.

Examples of biological factors are having a chronic illness or being physically unwell, having a brain injury or severe concussion. Genetics and family history may increase risk. Generational trauma (trauma that's happened to your biological parents or grandparents or the generations previous) as well as stress or trauma to your biological mother whilst pregnant, has also been linked to increasing the risk of depression and other mental health difficulties.

Often depression can be caused be various factors that have not been addressed, for example someone who may have experienced trauma in childhood may not have had professional help with this and the trauma has caused their nervous system to become dysregulated. They may struggle to sleep and struggle to set boundaries in their relationships because of their experiences. This leads to them struggling to say no to others and so they don't have time to rest because they are dealing with everyone else's problems.

Their nervous system then becomes so dysregulated that they start to have panic attacks and can become chronically stressed leading to a decline in physical health. They may then struggle to go to school because they feel unwell which could affect their friendships leading to loneliness. Even though they are now physically ill they may still continue to not reach out for help and so eventually they become depressed because the body is trying to signal that something needs to change. This is just one example but there are various experiences and factors that can lead to depression. It can therefore be important to reflect on your experiences and seek professional help to help you with this.

If You’re Depressed:

1. Seek Professional Help: Contact and talk to your GP, you can ask to be referred for help such as being referred for therapy from a charity or the NHS. You can also CLICK HERE for our mental health resources in England directory which lists phone numbers and websites to several organisations who can support you.

2. Talk to Someone You Trust: Share your feelings with friends or family. You don't need to feel ashamed, know you are not alone in your struggles. If you are too scared to talk to loved ones try speaking to one of the support lines on our mental health resources directory.

3. Engage in Physical Activity: Exercise can improve mood as well as anti depressants can, however when someone is really depressed we also understand this can be really hard so please don't beat yourself up if this is too hard for you at this present moment. Sometimes getting outside can help to boost your mood even by 1% - it may not erase your depressed state but it might make it easier to cope with.

4. Practice Self-care: Ensure you are eating as well as you can and drinking plenty of water, try and prioritise getting enough sleep, and taking time to relax. If you are struggling to sleep CLICK HERE for our tips to help with sleep.

If You’re Worried About Someone Else:

1. Reach Out: Let them know you are there for them without judgment. However, it is important to make sure you are looking after you're own mental health too so make sure you are in a good place to be able to listen to them and take lots of time for self-care. You can't fill up someone else's tank if you have nothing left in yours.

2. Encourage Help: Suggest they reach out to a carer or parent, teacher, GP or you could send them the link to our website and resource directory.

3. Offer Support: Help with day-to-day tasks or accompany them to reach out for help.

4. Be Patient and Understanding: Respect their feelings and experiences, they may not seem their usual self but let them know that's ok and they don't need to try and hide it.

When someone is struggling with poor mental health they may feel quite hopeless and like things can't get better but that is not true, there is ALWAYS hope no matter how hopeless things have become even if you feel like it can never get better. It can be helpful to see this hopeless feeling as your mental health trying to trick you or it has become blind to the possibility of hope but that doesn't mean it is not there. Please don't struggle on your own, you don't have to struggle by yourself.