What is depression and how common is it?
Everybody feels sad or 'down' from time to time. It is a normal reaction to unpleasant or upsetting events. Usually within a few days or a couple of weeks, we start to feel better and our mood returns to normal.
Clinical depression is different. People experiencing clinical depression have lost the ability to function as they normally would in their home life or at work. They often find that strategies they normally use to lift their mood don’t work. This loss of energy and low mood makes it hard to cope with day-to-day life and can also put pressure on relationships.
Clinical depression is a serious illness and will often require professional help from a doctor.
Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses experienced by Australians and research tells us that one in five Australians will experience depression in their lifetime. Moreover, 4 per cent of us will experience a major depressive illness in a 12-month period.
Clinical depression is nothing to be ashamed of and it is always worthwhile to ask for help if you think you might have clinical depression.
How is depression different to normal sadness?
For most people, feeling depressed or down will pass. However, people with clinical depression often require professional help from a doctor to recover.
Depression can become an illness when:
- The mood state is severe
- It lasts for two weeks or more
- It interferes with our ability to function at home or at work.
What are the signs and symptoms of depression?
Everybody feels down or sad at times. But it's important to be able to recognise when depression has become more than a temporary thing, and when to seek help.
The following are a list of the features that may be experienced by someone with depression:
- Lowered self-esteem
- Change in sleep patterns
- Change in mood control
- Varying emotions throughout the day
- Change in appetite and weight
- Reduced ability to enjoy things
- Reduced ability to tolerate pain
- Reduced sex drive
- Suicidal thoughts
- Impaired concentration and memory
- Loss of motivation and drive
- Increase in fatigue
- Change in movement
- Being out of touch with reality
If you are feeling suicidal it is very important to seek immediate help, preferably from a mental health practitioner. You can also call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467. Young people can also access online crisis counselling at ReachOut.com.
Click here to do the Black Dog Institute anonymous online self-test for depression.
Are there different types of depression?
Depression can vary in severity between people and the way it manifests depends on the individual.
Depression is also associated with other mental illnesses. For example, people with bipolar mood disorder (which used to be called manic depression) experience extreme mood swings, including long periods of low moods.
How can depression affect women during pregnancy and post natal?
Many women experience a brief episode of mood swings, tearfulness, anxiety and difficulty in sleeping in the first week after the birth of a baby. Some 50-80% of women have such an experience and it is thought to be linked with the stresses associated with late pregnancy, labour and delivery, along with the rapid hormonal changes that accompany the birth.
Symptoms generally settle during the first week after birth and require no special treatment other than adequate rest and support. Only when symptoms are severe or do not improve within the first two weeks is it important to seek medical assessment to find out if another condition is present.
Click here to do the Black Dog Institute online self-test for depression during pregnancy, including postnatal depression or postpartum depression.
For more information on depression during pregnancy and postnatal, click here.
Where can I get help for depression?
If you think you have depression, a good place to start is to talk about it with your local General Practitioner (GP). Your GP will either conduct an assessment to find out whether you have depression, or refer you to someone else, such as a psychiatrist or a psychologist.
Depending on the nature of your depression, your doctor may recommend some psychological intervention, such as cognitive behaviour therapy or interpersonal therapy, and might prescribe antidepressant medication to relieve some of the symptoms of depression.
Because depression is a common experience, many GPs are used to dealing with depression and other mental health problems. Some GPs take a special interest in mental health issues and undergo additional training in the area.
If you don't feel comfortable talking to your own doctor, find another one with whom you do feel comfortable. It is important that you feel comfortable talking about how you are feeling with your doctor so they have as much information to help you as possible.
For more information on seeking help for depression, click here.
For more information about consulting a professional about depression, click here.
Staying positive during life's ups and downs with myCompass
myCompass is a groundbreaking new program that combines mobile phone and internet technology to help people improve well-being and resilience. It is being trialled for people experiencing mild stress, anxiety or low mood, and you can join the research effort here.
Where can I find more information on depression?
For more information about depression from the Black Dog Institute, visit their website here.
SANE Australia also has fact sheets and podcasts on depression and other types of mental illness. Click here for more information.
ReachOut.com has information about depression for young people, which you can access here.
headspace provides youth-specific services and counselling and you can find your closest headspace centre here.