These may be symptoms of depression. Everyone feels ‘down’ from time to time, but depression is more than that. When you are depressed, your low mood can last for weeks, months or even years. Unfortunately, this can develop into persistent difficulties with activities such as work and your social life.

People who suffer from depression often find that their negative thoughts and low mood creates loss of interest in things they usually love and care about. This can lead to feeling less motivated, hopeless, guilty and worthless. It becomes a negative spiral that can be difficult to get out of on your own, but cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been found to be effective in treating depression.

Some signs and symtoms of depression

• Feeling empty and numb

• Trouble with sleep, such as difficulty falling or staying asleep

• Loss of interest in things you use to enjoy

• Ruminating and worrying

• Poor concentration

• Distorted thinking

• Fatigue

• Feeling of worthlessness and meaninglessness

So what causes depression?

You are more likely to experience depression if you had early life traumas, stressful life events or a habit of thinking negatively.

What keeps the depression going?

Avoidance

When you are depressed, you feel less motivated to do the things you used to enjoy or spend time with people you like. Without feeling motivated, it is often easier to avoid doing things.

By avoiding these activities, you are missing out on some of the key ingredients for your wellbeing, making you feel even less energetic and even more demotivated.

Unhelpful thinking

All of us have ’automatic thoughts’ that pop into our minds. But when you are depressed, these thoughts can become more intense and distorted. This can create a pattern of negative and self-critical thinking.

Rumination and worrying

People suffering from depression can get stuck in thinking about one subject over and over - often the source of negativity. It’s different than normal worrying because you become focused on the negative and it’s hard to focus on positive topics and healthy thoughts.

Your past, beliefs, rules, and assumptions  

People struggling with depression often believe very negative things about themselves. For example:

“I’m not deserving of love” or “I’m not good enough”