DEPRESSION
“Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad.”
― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Longfellow encapsulates the misinterpretation of those with depression in this quote and identifies that meeting such people with empathy and care is a much better approach. Depression, however, is more than this. Sadness, on its’ own, is a normal part of life. It is an emotion felt when people experience setbacks in their lives, unhappy events which prevent their life going according to plan or thwart any hopes of a better life that they may have had. It is also an emotion felt only for a short period of time by people with a positive set of core beliefs reflecting on what has happened to them. Soon, however, things in their life improve for such people with the support of friends, family and other members of their social support group.
Depression is more insidious. It is an illness that accumulates over a period of time, almost imperceptibly, until a point when it is unbearable to the sufferer. It is characterised by psychological symptoms, physical symptoms and social symptoms. The psychological symptoms include continuing low mood, a feeling of hopelessness, feeling tearful and not getting any enjoyment out of life. Physical symptoms include lack of energy, loss of libido, disturbed sleep patterns and moving more slowly and lethargically. Social symptoms include not doing well at work, difficulties in your home and family life and neglecting any hobbies that you may have.
By supporting you with great care and empathy, we can work together to establish the best way to deal with your depression, to combat it by changing your thinking and establishing a positive set of core beliefs and by raising your self-esteem. Depression may have been a blight on your life, but with your own will to change, you can find a way out of the darkness and make positive changes to your life which will make a lasting impact on the way you live.