What’s happening for you right now?
People struggle with many issues including guilt, rejection, loneliness, isolation, stress, depression, feelings of confusion, fear, lack of control in their life and sickness. You might be a survivor of abuse but are struggling with the feelings it has left you with. Whatever is causing you to look for the support of a counsellor is unique to you. We all handle things differently, we respond and behave differently.
Feeling low, stressed, tired, anxious, then you might be suffering from depression
Depression is different from feeling down or sad. Unhappiness is something which everyone feels at one time or another, usually due to a particular cause. A person experiencing depression will experience intense emotions of anxiety, hopelessness, negativity and helplessness, and the feelings stay with them instead of going away.
Depression can happen to anyone. Many successful and famous people who seem to have everything going for them battle with this problem. Depression also affects people of every age.
Living with depression is difficult for those who suffer from it and for their family, friends, and colleagues. It can be difficult to know if you are depressed and what you can do about it.
Signs and symptoms:
- Tiredness and loss of energy.
- Sadness that doesn’t go away.
- Loss of self-confidence and self-esteem.
- Difficulty concentrating.
- Not being able to enjoy things that are usually pleasurable or interesting.
- Feeling anxious all the time.
- Avoiding other people, sometimes even your close friends.
- Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness.
- Sleeping problems – difficulties in getting off to sleep or waking up much earlier than usual.
- Very strong feelings of guilt or worthlessness.
- Finding it hard to function at work/college/school.
- Loss of appetite.
- Loss of sex drive and/or sexual problems.
- Physical aches and pains.
- Thinking about suicide and death.
- Self-harm
If you experience four or more of these symptoms for most of the day – every day – for more than two weeks, you should seek help from your GP.
‘12.5 million working days are lost due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety’
