Help for Carers > Different caring situations > Caring for someone with a mental health problem > Depression

Depression

What is Depression?

‘Depression' is used to describe feelings of low mood such as feeling sad or fed up. However, if you, or the person you care for, is affected by depression, you are not 'just' sad or upset. You have an illness which means that intense feeling of persistent sadness, helplessness and hopelessness are accompanied by physical effects such as sleeplessness, a loss of energy, or physical aches and pains. Below is a list of the most common symptoms of depression. As a general rule, if you experience four or more of these symptoms, for most of the day nearly every day, for over two weeks, then you should seek help:

Avoiding other people, sometimes even your close friends

Difficulty concentrating

Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness

Finding it hard to function at work/college/school

Loss of appetite

Loss of sex drive and/or sexual problems

Loss of self-confidence and self-esteem

Not being able to enjoy things that are usually pleasurable or interesting

Persistent sadness

Physical aches and pains

Self-harm

Sleeping problems - difficulties in getting to sleep or waking up much earlier than usual

Thinking about suicide and death

Tiredness and loss of energy

Undue feelings of guilt or worthlessness

You can get more information from:

www.depressionalliance.org/

www.depressionanon.co.uk - self-help organisation helping people cope with depression

www.journeysonline.org.uk - support for people to find their own route to recovery from depression

www.mind.org.uk - Understanding depression booklet

Bipolar (Manic Depression):

http://bipolar-blog.com/ - blog to help people find out more about living with bipolar disorder and to provide a resource for those recently diagnosed with a bipolar disorder.

www.bipolaraware.co.uk/

www.mind.org.uk - Understanding manic depression booklet

How to explain Bipolar Disorder to children
Bipolar disorder is a difficult thing to explain to anyone, let alone to one's children. However, as your children become older, it is important to let them know what is going on. Read more from the Ezine Article source: http://EzineArticles.com

Ante and Post Natal Depression:

http://apni.org/

www.pni-uk.com/

www.mind.org.uk - Understanding postnatal depression booklet

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