Depression

Depression:

– A common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is also treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person’s ability to function at work and at home.

Symptoms that you have Anxiety or depression:

• Feeling sad or having a depressed mood
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
• Changes in appetite — weight loss or gain unrelated to dieting
• Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
• Loss of energy or increased fatigue
• Increase in purposeless physical activity (e.g., hand-wringing or pacing) or slowed movements and speech (actions observable by others)
• Feeling worthless or guilty
• Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions
• Thoughts of death or suicide

Risk Factors for Depression:

Depression can affect anyone.

Several factors can play a role in depression:

• Biochemistry: Differences in certain chemicals in the brain may contribute to symptoms of depression.
• Genetics: Depression can run in families. For example, if one identical twin has depression, the other has a 70 percent chance of having the illness sometime in life.
• Personality: People with low self-esteem, who are easily overwhelmed by stress, or who are generally pessimistic appear to be more likely to experience depression.
• Environmental factors: Continuous exposure to violence, neglect, abuse or poverty may make some people more vulnerable to depression.

How to help a Friend with a Anxiety?

• Be there to listen. If they feel like talking, ask them how they’re going. Ask them what you can do and what they find helpful.
• Know when is a good time to talk. If you want to bring up a sensitive issue with someone, try to choose a time and place when you’re both comfortable and relaxed. Avoid talking to them about it if they’re upset.
• Take their feelings seriously. If someone is suffering from symptoms of depression, it isn’t possible for them just to ‘snap out of it’, ‘cheer up’ or ‘forget about it’. If you imply that they can change how they’re feeling if they just tried harder, they’ll know you’re not taking their feelings seriously.
• Become informed. Find out more about depression to help you better understand what someone is going through.
• Encourage them to get help. If you have a friend with depression, it’s really important that they seek help. Recommending that they go and visit their GP is a good first step. You could offer to go with them if they’re worried or need extra support.
• Let them know about support services. If your friend isn’t comfortable with speaking to someone face-to-face, there are online and email counselling services. You could also recommend the ReachOut NextStep tool, which recommends relevant support options based on what the person wants help with.
• Talk about suicide and safety planning. Let your friend know that you’re worried about them, and ask if they’ve had thoughts of ending their life. Learn how to have a conversation about suicide, and ask how you can be a part of safety planning.
• Back down if they aren’t ready. If you think a friend needs to visit a mental health professional but they don’t respond well to the suggestion, don’t force the issue or put too much pressure on them – it could put them off getting help. In the meantime, try to encourage them to speak to someone else they trust, such as a teacher or family member, as a good first step.
• Respond to emergencies. The exception to ‘backing down’ from encouraging your friend to get help is if you think they may be in danger or at risk of hurting themselves or someone else. In this case, seek help immediately.