Depression (low mood)

People often say “I’m so depressed” when they’re having a bad day or week, but depression is different from feeling sad, down or ‘can’t be bothered’.

Depression is a mental health difficulty that involves persistent low mood (continuing for a long time). It impacts on the way people feel, think and behave. Depression can happen as a reaction to difficult experiences such as bullying, bereavement or family relationship difficulties. It can also happen without any obvious trigger or reason.

People with depression can feel a range of emotions including sadness, stress, hopelessness, loneliness, irritability (anger), emptiness or numbness. People with depression often have negative thoughts about themselves, other people, the future or life in general. It can be hard to carry out usual routines and tasks including self-care (showering/ brushing your teeth), eating and sleeping.

People with depression often stop enjoying activities or seeing friends as they can feel tired and have no energy or motivation. People with severe depression, and/or depression that has been going on for a long time, sometimes have thoughts or urges to harm themselves or to end their lives. It is important to tell someone so that a safety plan that supports the person not to act on these thoughts can be put in place.

Depression isn’t something people can ‘snap out of’ or simply ‘cheer up’ from. It is more than just having a bad day or week, it’s a medical condition that can affect many aspects of a person’s life. The good news is that depression is treatable and people can recover.