Am I Depressed? 6 Signs You Should Know About
- You’ve been feeling low or irritable for most of the day, every day for two weeks or more. You might have found yourself worrying about past or future events for long periods of time, or simply feeling sad, cross or tearful. Sometimes it’s hard to recognize a gradual change – have others noticed that you don’t seem your usual self?
- You’ve lost interest in activities that you used to enjoy. Perhaps you have been seeing less of your friends or family recently, have stopped going to the gym, or cooking balanced meals. This is really about recognizing changes in what’s normal for you – no one is saying you have to exercise five times a week or eat your greens, but changes in your routine can offer concrete indications that your mood is changing.
- You are struggling to concentrate. You might notice that you struggle to focus when reading or watching television, for example, or to follow the thread of a spoken conversation. This could be affecting your performance at work, or limiting your ability to perform routine tasks such as food shopping. Again, we are looking for a change in what’s normal for you, so if concentration has always been something you find tricky there is little cause for concern.
In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.
– Robert Frost
How to Talk About Your Mental Health
- You’ve been feeling low or irritable for most of the day, every day for two weeks or more. You might have found yourself worrying about past or future events for long periods of time, or simply feeling sad, cross or tearful. Sometimes it’s hard to recognize a gradual change – have others noticed that you don’t seem your usual self?
- You’ve lost interest in activities that you used to enjoy. Perhaps you have been seeing less of your friends or family recently, have stopped going to the gym, or cooking balanced meals. This is really about recognizing changes in what’s normal for you – no one is saying you have to exercise five times a week or eat your greens, but changes in your routine can offer concrete indications that your mood is changing.
- You are struggling to concentrate. You might notice that you struggle to focus when reading or watching television, for example, or to follow the thread of a spoken conversation. This could be affecting your performance at work, or limiting your ability to perform routine tasks such as food shopping. Again, we are looking for a change in what’s normal for you, so if concentration has always been something you find tricky there is little cause for concern.
In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.
– Robert Frost
Antidepressant Medications: What are they?
- You’ve been feeling low or irritable for most of the day, every day for two weeks or more. You might have found yourself worrying about past or future events for long periods of time, or simply feeling sad, cross or tearful. Sometimes it’s hard to recognize a gradual change – have others noticed that you don’t seem your usual self?
- You’ve lost interest in activities that you used to enjoy. Perhaps you have been seeing less of your friends or family recently, have stopped going to the gym, or cooking balanced meals. This is really about recognizing changes in what’s normal for you – no one is saying you have to exercise five times a week or eat your greens, but changes in your routine can offer concrete indications that your mood is changing.
- You are struggling to concentrate. You might notice that you struggle to focus when reading or watching television, for example, or to follow the thread of a spoken conversation. This could be affecting your performance at work, or limiting your ability to perform routine tasks such as food shopping. Again, we are looking for a change in what’s normal for you, so if concentration has always been something you find tricky there is little cause for concern.
In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.
– Robert Frost
Depression: Which Therapy is Right for Me?
Depression: Which Therapy is Right for Me?
Everyone feels low from time to time, so it’s not always easy to know when it is part-and-parcel of daily life, and when it’s time to seek help. In most cases, it is short-term and self-correcting, but for a significant minority, this is not the case. For those individuals, it is important to seek treatment just as you would any other health condition. Here we discuss six warning signs which, together, might indicate that it’s time to seek professional help.
What are the signs you need Depression Therapy?
You’ve been feeling low or irritable for most of the day, every day for two weeks or more. You might have found yourself worrying about past or future events for long periods of time, or simply feeling sad, cross or tearful. Sometimes it’s hard to recognize a gradual change – have others noticed that you don’t seem your usual self?
You’ve lost interest in activities that you used to enjoy. Perhaps you have been seeing less of your friends or family recently, have stopped going to the gym, or cooking balanced meals. This is really about recognizing changes in what’s normal for you – no one is saying you have to exercise five times a week or eat your greens, but changes in your routine can offer concrete indications that your mood is changing.
You are struggling to concentrate. You might notice that you struggle to focus when reading or watching television, for example, or to follow the thread of a spoken conversation. This could be affecting your performance at work, or limiting your ability to perform routine tasks such as food shopping. Again, we are looking for a change in what’s normal for you, so if concentration has always been something you find tricky there is little cause for concern.
Bear in mind that no one of these signs is in itself indicative of depression, and there are other, perfectly good reasons for each of these symptoms occurring. It’s also important to know that there are several types of depression and each can present in different ways – read more about types of depression. A GP is always a good first port of call, as they can signpost you towards more specialist services if necessary. Otherwise, if you are sure you’d like to see a mental health professional, consider making an appointment to see a psychiatrist who will be able to give you a diagnosis and advise you on which treatment might work best for you.
In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.
Robert Frost
Can depression be cured?
Depression, like many mental health conditions, follows ‘the rule of thirds’: One third of sufferers will make a full recovery, one third will partially respond to treatment, and one third will not benefit from treatment at all. Your age, the duration of your symptoms, having a family history of depression, and co-occurring mental or physical health difficulties might all affect your prognosis. Some researchers believe that there is evidence for a ‘scarring’ effect, where the likelihood of suffering from a relapse in depression increases with the number of episodes you have already had. There is also an increased risk of suicide associated with severe depression.
Depression Which Therapy is right for me?
A GP is always a good first port of call, as they can signpost you towards more specialist services if necessary. Otherwise, if you are sure you’d like to see a mental health professional, consider making an appointment to see a psychiatrist. To speak to a therapist and work out if our therapy sessions are right for you contact us here.
Learn MoreWhich is better, dogs or cats?
- You’ve been feeling low or irritable for most of the day, every day for two weeks or more. You might have found yourself worrying about past or future events for long periods of time, or simply feeling sad, cross or tearful. Sometimes it’s hard to recognize a gradual change – have others noticed that you don’t seem your usual self?
- You’ve lost interest in activities that you used to enjoy. Perhaps you have been seeing less of your friends or family recently, have stopped going to the gym, or cooking balanced meals. This is really about recognizing changes in what’s normal for you – no one is saying you have to exercise five times a week or eat your greens, but changes in your routine can offer concrete indications that your mood is changing.
- You are struggling to concentrate. You might notice that you struggle to focus when reading or watching television, for example, or to follow the thread of a spoken conversation. This could be affecting your performance at work, or limiting your ability to perform routine tasks such as food shopping. Again, we are looking for a change in what’s normal for you, so if concentration has always been something you find tricky there is little cause for concern.
In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.
– Robert Frost
Depression: Not Just for Girls?
- You’ve been feeling low or irritable for most of the day, every day for two weeks or more. You might have found yourself worrying about past or future events for long periods of time, or simply feeling sad, cross or tearful. Sometimes it’s hard to recognize a gradual change – have others noticed that you don’t seem your usual self?
- You’ve lost interest in activities that you used to enjoy. Perhaps you have been seeing less of your friends or family recently, have stopped going to the gym, or cooking balanced meals. This is really about recognizing changes in what’s normal for you – no one is saying you have to exercise five times a week or eat your greens, but changes in your routine can offer concrete indications that your mood is changing.
- You are struggling to concentrate. You might notice that you struggle to focus when reading or watching television, for example, or to follow the thread of a spoken conversation. This could be affecting your performance at work, or limiting your ability to perform routine tasks such as food shopping. Again, we are looking for a change in what’s normal for you, so if concentration has always been something you find tricky there is little cause for concern.
In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.
– Robert Frost
How Music Affects Our Subconscious
- You’ve been feeling low or irritable for most of the day, every day for two weeks or more. You might have found yourself worrying about past or future events for long periods of time, or simply feeling sad, cross or tearful. Sometimes it’s hard to recognize a gradual change – have others noticed that you don’t seem your usual self?
- You’ve lost interest in activities that you used to enjoy. Perhaps you have been seeing less of your friends or family recently, have stopped going to the gym, or cooking balanced meals. This is really about recognizing changes in what’s normal for you – no one is saying you have to exercise five times a week or eat your greens, but changes in your routine can offer concrete indications that your mood is changing.
- You are struggling to concentrate. You might notice that you struggle to focus when reading or watching television, for example, or to follow the thread of a spoken conversation. This could be affecting your performance at work, or limiting your ability to perform routine tasks such as food shopping. Again, we are looking for a change in what’s normal for you, so if concentration has always been something you find tricky there is little cause for concern.
In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.
– Robert Frost
The Signs and Symptoms of Depression
The Symptoms of Depression
One of the most common questions we ask ourselves when it comes to depression is ‘how do I know if I or a loved one is depressed’.
It’s true that we are all prone to mood swings and feeling low at times when things just aren’t going in the direction we’d hoped and dreamed however, recognising the signs of true depression in yourself, and of those around you is a vital.
Recognising the symptoms of depression in the early stages can lead to you, and other individuals, getting the help they need and for you to find the resources required to help yourself or your friend/family member through this difficult period in time.
The degrees of depression vary on an individual basis and while many are capable of hiding how they are truly feeling, spotting the signs in yourself or a loved one is crucial first step on the road to getting better and feeling better about your situation, and in understanding why you feel the way you do.
In this article we are going to look at the symptoms of depression and what kinds of emotional and sometimes physical changes you can expect to see in both yourself and in the people around you, so if you do have concerns about how you’re feeling or indeed, how your best friend, daughter, son, or grandfather is coping in their particular circumstances, you’ve come to the right place.
The first thing you may notice about yourself or your loved one is the fact that there seems to be a sudden lack of interest in the things they used to enjoy and this runs in conjunction with having little or no interest in basic daily activities. Stemming from the complex feeling of self loathing and the loss of energy those with depression experience, these symptoms can have an impact on friendships and social activity. With these perceptions of self loathing and overall worthlessness comes an amount of anger, irritability, and frustration as a person in distress tries to make sense of why they feel the way they do but are unable to pinpoint any direct causes.
These overwhelming feelings are something quite different from having ‘the blues’ and often spiral much deeper as an individual begins to find that sleep is difficult to come by, and a loss of appetite is also affecting them on a physical level.
One of the most difficult symptoms to spot in others is how they are constantly tuned in to negative thoughts. These negative thoughts usually show themselves in a ‘what’s the point’, or similar kind of inward attitude, forcing an individual to retreat into themselves as they begin to feel their contribution to the world simply isn’t good enough nor will it ever be.
If you or the loved one you have concerns for seems to be drinking more than they usually would, or indulges in any other form of reckless behaviour, they could be suffering with depression too. Alcohol tends to be viewed as a quick fix escape from the stress of a situation or as a sleep aid however, alcohol itself is a depressant and often drives feelings of negativity.
If you do have concerns about depression and think perhaps you or a loved one is afflicted with this illness, the symptoms can be relatively simple to spot if you know what you’re looking for. If you often find yourself questioning your abilities, and if you are trapped in a never ending spiral of negative thinking which is leading to a loss of sleep and appetite, then it’s time to seek the advice of a professional, and of course, if you recognise these or any of the symptoms we have mentioned today in someone else, you can help set them on the road to recovery with confidence and clarity.
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How Common Are Panic Attacks?
How Common Are Panic Attacks?
It may surprise you to learn that the NHS estimate that one in ten of us will suffer a panic attack at some time in our lives. Triggered by a stressful event, a person can become overwhelmed with fear and show physical symptoms such as sweating, nausea, visible trembling, heart palpitations, and a sense of overpowering dizziness. This fear can either stem from something that is current; a stressful and sudden encounter / trauma, or as a result of a phobia or as part of another syndrome such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Health Anxiety, Social Anxiety or Agoraphobia.
For someone who hasn’t experienced a panic attack before, the symptoms as detailed above can also cause further distress and a sense of uncertainty for the victim. Described by some as a violent experience, it can be something which is painfully uncomfortable to say the least, and if it’s your first time suffering a panic attack, you could liken the feeling to perhaps having a heart attack and be sure that death is quickly becoming your reality. This however is untrue, and with proper measures, the panic attack will take its natural course and subside.
As a general rule, the panic attack itself can begin with no pre warning, and can last from just a few minutes, with the peak being reached at around the ten minutes however, in minimal cases, the panic attack may not reach is peak, before slowly ebbing away, for up to twenty minutes.
With statistics suggesting that one in ten of us will suffer a panic attack at some point in our lives, it’s safe to assume that panic attacks happen much more frequently, and to many more individuals than one would first have predicted, and with that, the trend seems to be that women are more prone to panic attacks than men. Triggered by either a build up of stress and worry, or ignited by a sudden trauma, such as the loss of a loved one, the panic attack acts as a release for the emotional anguish and turmoil you are feeling at the time.
So, in answer to our question, ‘how common are panic attacks’ we can broadly look at the statistics and realise, that in fact, panic attacks are not a rarity, they are very common amongst individuals, from all backgrounds, and can occur at any stage of our lives. There’s no set parameter when it comes to common age ranges in which a panic attack is more prevalent, and the underlying causes are also based on the individual, rather than anything that statistics can confirm.
CBT Therapy is the most effective treatment for the symptoms of Panic and you can find more about how we treat Panic Attacks and many other common mental health difficulties at the home of CBT Therapy – The CBT Clinic London. www.cbtcliniclondon.com.
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