Dealing With Depression

Depression is different from feeling down or sad. It is a common mental disorder that causes one to be in a state of low mood and aversion to activity. This condition can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings, and sense of well being. Approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year. In England, it is recorded that 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (such as anxiety and depression) in any given week.

I knew a lady who said a part of her died when her mother passed away and from that day she lost interest in living. She became recluse, slept all day; she stopped taking care of herself, stayed away from friends and family. It was painful for her loved ones to see her suffer from depression; they observed her interest in activities diminish over some time. Thankfully, they got her help.

Everybody finds himself or herself in a depressed state when things don’t go their way. When you get caught by a speed camera, missed your train, failed a test etc. Some people might find it difficult to face certain life challenges like going through a bereavement, separation, divorce, losing your child to a religious or cult-like organization, rape, or been robbed of your life’s earnings. These situations can lead to an overwhelming sense of sadness. If this great sadness mixed with various emotions go on for months, it can be seen as a sign of depression. However, if this feelings stay on for months or years and are mixed with the feelings of helplessness, then it can be regarded as clinical depression.

Symptoms of Depression

Having a feeling of sadness, irritable, marked anxiety


Spontaneous weeping

Feeling fatigue

Sleep disturbance

Weight loss

Loss of interests in hobbies, inactivity 
and 
impaired concentration.

Ways to help yourself

Set priorities for your life by having small goals. If a task seems too difficult, do not despair. Break the task down into even easier steps and start again more slowly.

Plan daily activities, it is helpful if you make a list of activities you are going to engage in at different times during the day.

Stop comparing your feelings, the way you are behaving or feeling while you are depressed, compared with the way you used to behave or feel before becoming depressed.

Give yourself credit for your achievements. Reward yourself for any of your efforts. Stay with supportive people and encourage your friends to support you.

Recovering from depression takes time, don’t rush towards getting better or comparing your good and bad days wishing for desperate change, instead take one step at a time.

Reduce the number of stressors, doing less running up and down, overloading your day with too many activities.

Ask yourself how important a problem will seem in five years time. Is it a life or death matter? Few things are important enough to lose sleep over. 


Find a solution to the most pressing area of stress. This might mean changing location, jobs, friends or applying for a transfer, or walking away.

Ask for help.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on dealing with depression. Have a nice day