Understanding Depression and Your Treatment Options
Depression and low mood are common experiences that affect many people. Here is some information on low mood and depression, and the mental health support available.
It’s completely normal to feel sad sometimes. Life brings many challenges, and our feelings naturally change when things get tough. But when the constant negative thoughts stay for a long time, start to make everyday life hard, or get worse, it could be depression.
This guide is here to help you understand depression, why it might happen, what choices you have for feeling better, and what your rights are when you seek help.
What is depression?
Everyone feels down sometimes. But clinical depression is a different, serious mental health condition. It means you have ongoing symptoms like:
- feelings of sadness
- wanting to be alone
- pulling away from others
- not having motivation
- negative thoughts
The main difference between feeling sad and depression is how long and how strongly these feelings affect you, and how much they get in the way of your daily life. If you have symptoms that last a long time, get worse, or really affect your life, it’s important to get professional help.
Could it be something else?
It’s common for different mental health problems to have similar signs to depression. You might even have more than one problem at the same time, like anxiety and depression together.
Other things, like being neurodiverse, dealing with an illness or grief, or being very stressed, can also deeply affect how you feel mentally and emotionally.
This is why talking to a healthcare professional is really important. They can give you the right diagnosis and make sure you get the best support.
Why do people get depression?
There’s no single reason why someone gets depression. Sometimes, depression can run in families, but it often comes from many things working together. These can include big life events like someone close to you dying, feeling lonely, or going through a very hard experience.
Hard experiences are a part of life, but how they affect each person can be very different. For some, these events might lead to mild, short-term low moods, while for others, they can lead to deeper, longer-lasting depression.
Taking the first step: getting help
The first step to feeling better often means talking openly about what you’re going through. You might feel more comfortable talking to a trusted family member or friend first.
When you’re ready for professional help, you can make an appointment with your doctor. They should talk with you in detail to understand your situation and anything that might be causing it before they think about a diagnosis or suggest treatment options. Your doctor might need to see you more than once or send you to special mental health services if they think that’s what you need.
Things you can do to help yourself
Even before you see a doctor or while you’re getting professional help, there are many things you can do on your own to feel better and manage your symptoms. Your doctor might even suggest some self-help ideas or changes to your daily life as part of your first treatment plan.
Try starting with small, easy changes so you don’t feel overwhelmed. Simple things like having a daily routine, getting some exercise, enough sleep, eating good food, and staying in touch with friends can all help your mood.
Keeping a journal or just writing down your thoughts and feelings can also be very useful. This can help you see patterns, habits, and situations that might be affecting how you feel.
What are my treatment choices?
If you are dealing with depression, common treatment choices might include medication, therapy, or being referred to specialist services. Each choice should be fully explained to you, including how it might help, any possible problems, and how long the treatment might last.
While prescription medication is a common treatment, it’s not the only way, and you should always have a choice about your treatment path.
It’s very important to remember that you have the right to have a say in your healthcare and treatment (this is part of Articles 12 and 24 of the UNCRC). While health professionals will suggest things they think are best, they must also listen to your thoughts and feelings. Working together helps you agree on the type of treatment you will get.
If you’re not happy with your treatment, you have the right to ask questions and challenge anything you are unsure about or don’t agree with. If you start a treatment but later feel it’s not right for you, you should talk to your doctor or health professional about your concerns.
Medication
Medications can be very helpful for some people. They are made to help lessen symptoms so you can feel more like yourself and live your life more easily and comfortably. They can improve how someone with a mental illness feels every day, and they are a very important part of getting lasting well-being. But medicines affect everyone differently. What works well for one person might not for another, and could even cause discomfort.
Before starting any medicine, it’s important to ask questions and do your own research. Here are some important things to think about:
- How it helps: Medicines are made to lower the problems caused by illness, helping you to do things more easily.
- Side effects: All medicines can have side effects, some are common, and some are very rare. You might notice some side effects when you first start a new medicine, and these often go away over time. Sometimes, certain medicines can even make thoughts of self-harm or suicide more likely. If side effects become worrying, it’s important to talk to your doctor right away.
- Time it takes: It takes time for medicine to start working, and you might even feel worse at first before you start to feel better. Finding the right medicine often means trying a few different ones, so patience is key. Some medicines are for a short time, while others might be for longer or even for life.
- Tolerance: Over time, some medicines might not work as well, and you might need a higher dose. This can happen for different reasons, including your condition or the type of medicine, and it’s more common if you’ve been taking it for a long time.
- Addiction and dependence: If your doctor suggests stopping a medicine, they will usually tell you to lower the dose slowly. This helps your body get used to it and reduces possible bad feelings from stopping too fast. Dependence means your body relies on the medicine to feel a certain way, which can make it hard to stop. Addiction is different. It’s about strong cravings and possibly seeking more of the substance than you need, even if it’s bad for you. Knowing the risks of certain medicines before you start can help you use them safely.
If you have any worries about taking medicine, always get advice from a professional. And if you decide to take medicine as part of your treatment, make sure you talk regularly with your doctor or the person who prescribes it. They need to know how it’s affecting you and if it’s helping.
Therapy and counselling
Therapy or counselling can be used on its own or along with medicine. You might first be offered a limited number of sessions. If you want to keep going, you might need to look for other choices, and some of these may cost money. There are many types of therapy available, and your doctor or mental health professional should talk about them with you to find the best one.
Specialist services and other help
For bigger mental health challenges, services like Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) might be an option. They offer more specialist and ongoing help. However, getting into CAMHS is not always easy, and there can be long waiting lists for support.
Other helpful places include mental health support at schools, local youth services, charity groups, and online help. These services can offer different types of therapy, counselling, or general support, like self-help guides and tips for healthy living.
Meic can help you to talk through things that you’re struggling with and work with you to advocate for yourself. Get in touch with a helpline advisor for free by phone, WhatsApp message, text or online chat from 8 am to midnight every day.
