Depression: stuck in despair

It is normal, when you have suffered a loss or set back, to feel sad for a while and to want to withdraw from your usual activities. This allows you to accept the reality of the loss and come to terms with its effects, before you can start to make plans for the future.

Depression is a term often used for times when the sad mood doesn’t lift and a way forward can't be seen. However, sometimes we don’t even know why we feel sad; there doesn’t seem to be a significant reason. Depression can also feel like numbness, lack of enjoyment in anything, hopelessness or a lack of point to life. In some cases, these feelings are so intense that we may think the only solution is to end our own life.

Talking about your thoughts and feelings with a therapist can help you understand where your sad feelings may be coming from. It can help you see how your behaviour and thinking patterns help to keep the sad feelings present. Working through the feelings and exploring different ways of doing things can help you find ways to lift your mood.

If you are struggling with depression or suicidal feelings it’s important to get help. You can talk to your GP or a counsellor or psychotherapist at Re...root to get an idea of what might work for you. If you need to talk to someone immediately the Samaritans run a helpline which is available 24/7: 08457 90 90 90, www.samaritans.org.