Feeling depressed?
Every year depression affects the lives of 1 in 4 women and 1 in 8 men. It has been called the common cold of mental illness because it is one of the most common reasons why people see a doctor or a counsellor.
Depression is not something that someone can just ‘snap out of'. It's important to know that depression is not a character flaw, nor is it a sign of weakness.
Depression can be the result of many things including:
- Biology/genetics
- Life stresses
- Personality styles
- Medical conditions
- Past experiences
- Anxiety
Common signs of depression can include:
- Feeling sad or miserable most of the time
- Difficulty sleeping
- Losing motivation
- Difficulty concentrating, making decisions
- Feeling tired, restless or edgy
- Withdrawing from friends and family
- Thinking about death or suicide
Depression checklists
beyondblue and the Blackdog Institute have depression checklists on their websites. You can link to these by clicking on:
beyondblue: http://www.beyondblue.org.au/index.aspx?link_id=103.882
Blackdog Institute: http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/public/depression/howtotell/selftesting.cfm
