We can all feel low and down from time to time and this is a normal part of life and being human. Sad and upsetting events happen to everyone and we all respond to them differently but depression goes further than that and and can leave you feeling hopeless and desperate with all purpose in life gone.
If you’re feeling down, sad and hopeless on a regular basis it could be you are suffering from feelings of depression. Depression can cause a variety of symptoms. Some affect your mood and some affect your body. Symptoms may come and go or they may be ongoing for days, weeks or months on end.
Symptoms of depression can be experienced differently by different people and in particular by men and women.
men may experience feelings related to their;
- mood, such as anger, aggressiveness, irritability, anxiousness, restlessness
- emotional well-being, such as feeling empty, sad and/or hopeless
- behaviour, such as loss of interest and no longer finding pleasure in activities which they once did find pleasure in, feeling easily tired, thoughts of suicide, drinking excessively,
- using drugs and engaging in high risk activities
- sexual interest, such as reduced sexual desire and lack of sexual performance
- cognitive abilities, such as difficulty concentrating, difficulty in completing tasks and delayed responses during conversations
- sleep patterns, such as increased insomnia or restless sleep, excessive sleepiness or not sleeping through the night
- physical well-being, such as fatigue, pains, headache or digestive problem
women may experience feelings related to their;
- mood, such as irritability
- emotional well-being, such as feeling sad or empty, anxious or hopeless
- behaviour, such as loss of interest in activities which they have previously been interested in, withdrawing from social engagements and/or thoughts of suicide
- cognitive abilities, such as thinking or talking more slowly, difficulty concentrating
- sleep patterns, such as difficulty sleeping through the night, waking early, sleeping too much
- physical well-being, such as decreased energy, greater fatigue, changed in appetite, changes in weight, aches, pains, headaches and increased cramps
There are different ways to think about these feelings using different models of therapy, but seeing a counsellor or psychotherapist can enable you to explore these often unbearable feelings and maybe think about and understand how early experiences, and beliefs in your day to day life, may be influencing how you are feeling now and why you respond to life events in this particular way.
Alternatively, you can think about the symptoms and look at coping strategies to distract you from these rather than thinking about the causes and origins.
