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Depression

What is Depression?

Depression is more than just feeling moody or sad. It's a state of constant sadness and a loss of interest or pleasure in previously enjoyable activities. It affects how you think, feel and act.

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So what’s the difference between normal sadness and depression? To differentiate them, you can look at:

  1. The duration. Normal sadness is temporary and fades with time, but if that sadness lasts for more than 2 weeks, it may be depression.

  2. The impact. It’s normal to feel unmotivated and disengaged when we’re sad, but if we find ourselves struggling with simple everyday activities, it may be depression. 

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​The good news is that depression can be treated, especially for young people, like you, who are wonderful at learning new things to cope with mental challenges. 

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Depression starts small. If left untreated, the symptoms can become worse, causing serious long-term consequences. That’s why it’s important for you to seek professional help if you believe you have depression. 

How do I know if I'm going through depression?

Common signs of depression can include:

  1. Common signs of depression:

  2. Feelings of sadness, hopelessness and/or worthlessness

  3. Frustration and anger, even over small matters

  4. Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you used to enjoy

  5. Loss of interest in socialising

  6. Low self-esteem and/or self-critical

  7. Changes in sleep and eating patterns

  8. Feeling tired all the time

  9. Trouble thinking, concentrating and remembering things

  10. Frequent thoughts of death, dying or suicide

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Depression looks different for everyone but people with depression usually experience at least 5 symptoms over a span of at least 2 weeks.

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Causes of depression:

  • Abuse

  • Medications/Drugs

  • Conflicts

  • Major Events, even the good ones

  • Death of loved ones

  • Genes

  • Serious illnesses

Recovering from depression

Overcoming depression takes time. It’s common for people who have recovered from depression to fall back into depression again. This is why being patient with the recovery process is important. 

 

Here are some tips on how to cope:

  • Don’t focus only on the negatives, start focusing on the positives too

  • Rethink how you look at the negatives

  • Build and maintain habits that help you feel happy 

In case of Emergencies

You are not alone, and help is available. You can feel better.

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