Firstly, chances are you are feeling alone in your journey, but the team at Mint Radio want you to know that you are not alone – we got you!
Depression can be experienced by anyone, and is more common than we realise. It’s something we can’t always see, so we need to try not to compare ourselves to those around us and presume they are “coping better”, which is something I hear a lot as a Psychotherapist.
Statistics show us that one in four of us experience depression; over 300 million people are affected globally – and that is just reported cases. Depression impacts individuals of all ages, lifestyles, backgrounds, genders, nationalities and ethnicity’s.
What is Depression?
Depression can be described as a state of “excessive sadness and lethargy”, which can impact our cognitive function, thinking, feelings, behaviours and general well-being. This is different from the “low” or “CBA” that we can all feel at times.
Symptoms of depression: can be categorised into four areas, including cognition (thoughts), behaviours, feelings and physical symptoms. However, everyone experiences depression differently, and may experience varying symptoms. That’s okay, it’s normal; it does not lessen our own experience in any way.
Cognitive symptoms: poor memory/concentration, difficulty in making decisions, expecting the worst/negative thinking, losing confidence in self and the world around us. When experiencing depression we tend to think negatively about ourselves, the future and the world around us. It can distort our perceptions so that we start to view and think about things with a negative bias – we don’t do this on purpose.
Feelings: deep sadness/despair, feeling numb, low, tearful, demotivated, isolated/lonely (even when around others). Feelings of irritability, frustration and agitation. We have a tendency to lose interest in the things we used to enjoy. We may also notice feelings of guilt, shame and anxiety.
Behaviours: avoiding people, staying in bed for longer or not getting up at all, lack of self-care, being inactive or doing nothing for long periods of time, stopping doing your usual activities, and feeling overwhelmed with things that used to be manageable. It’s important to remind ourselves that we are not lazy!
Physical symptoms: decreased/increased appetite, change in weight, lack of energy and fatigue, restlessness, sleep difficulties (sleeping too much, interrupted sleep, sleeping too little).
What causes depression?
Causes of depression can be divided into three distinct categories; stress and loss (common triggers: bereavement, loss of job, loss of/or change in financial stability, divorce), chemical imbalance (chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine are low in the brain during major depressive episodes), and unknown reasons (everyone is unique and individual with different experiences and lives, varying from one person to the next, it’s important to become aware of our own triggers).
Are there things we can do to improve our mood? Yes – however, it takes work and practice.
Treatment guidelines: there are many treatments available for depression. The NHS National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends; Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, medication and Counselling. Remember, everyone is different and unique, and so not all treatments will work the same for everyone.
If you speak to a mental health professional, together, you can identify the best treatment for you. Manage your expectations, because it might be that one treatment does not have the desired outcome. That’s okay! There are lots of different types of therapeutic models to try, and a health professional will take the time with you to find what’s right for you – if you find that you have tried varying treatments with no luck, and health professionals aren’t listening, why not get in touch with us for some signposting?
If you feel that therapy or counselling is something you would like to try, speak with your GP and request a referral to an appropriate service.
Self-help Strategies
Seeking professional support and treatment is important, but there are things that we can do for ourselves. When we experience depression, it can sometimes feel that everything is so far beyond our control. Some of the tips and techniques in our previous post can help you to find some control again.
http://mintradio.co.uk/2022/10/23/steps-to-freshen-up-your-wellbeing-with-mint-radio/
Stay Active!
Research shows that keeping physically active can be as effective for mental health as medication. By engaging is physical activity, we can help our bodies to produce a cocktail of natural anti-depressants. It also helps us to establish routine and increase our motivation – the less we do, the more demotivated we feel. It can help us to feel better about ourselves, helps to boost energy, improves cognitive function, serves as a distraction from negative/unhelpful thoughts and behaviours, and gives us a sense of achievement, improving our overall general well-being.
Look after yourself!
A balanced diet, good sleep pattern, daily routine, relaxation all have a positive impact on our physical and mental health – remember that these two go hand-in-hand, making up our general well-being. If you need support with this, keep your eye out for future Mint Radio tips, or get in touch if there is anything you want to see specifically.
Be sociable!
Yes, even for us introverts. Connect with others. Even if it is with an online community you feel part of. Seeing friends and family can be helpful. Or building social support networks through local community activities that you have always wanted to try.
Set Goals!
Your goals can be small, or big. When we set a goal and work towards that, we release a feel good chemical called dopamine. Keep your eyes peeled for some Mint Radio SMART goal guidance.
Learn to challenge negative thinking. Ultimately, depression can lead to thinking with a negative bias – this is not your fault – it is part of depression. However, we can become more aware of the way that we think, we can then learn to challenge those unhelpful thoughts. Challenge them and replace them with more balanced thoughts.
This is important, because the way that we think, influences the way that we feel and behave. If we think something often enough, we will start to believe it and it becomes a negative thought “pattern”. If we think negatively, we will feel negatively, and then behave according to our feelings.
Keeping a journal can be helpful in helping you to identify those pesky thoughts that impact on our mood. There will be more to come from us on this, so that we can support you on your journey.
Change won’t happen over night, take one step at a time. Baby steps. Try not to expect too much of yourself. Do expect set backs. That’s okay – you can handle them and there is support out there.
Let us know if you found this helpful or if there is anything else you would like to see. We want to help you gain back your control.
We’re with you – Mint Radio!