What is Depression?

Depression is a common condition that refers to a collection of symptoms that impact how we think, feel, and act. Depression is typically referred to as a mood disorder as it is characterised by a persistent sadness and low mood, and a lack of pleasure in previously enjoyable activities. 

Everyone experiences periods of sadness and low mood throughout our lives, such as work stress or a relationship breakdown. However, in most cases these feelings pass. Depressed mood becomes more serious when it remains for a longer period of time and significantly affects a person’s capacity to cope. Clinical depression is characterised by a number of symptoms that last at least 2 weeks, nearly every day for most of the day. 

Common symptoms include low mood, sadness, lack of pleasure or interest in doing things, hopelessness about the future, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, low energy, disrupted sleep, and changes in appetite or weight. 

A big misconception about depression is that a person can just snap out of it. However, there are a number of factors that contribute to one’s experience of depression. This includes biological (e.g., genetic vulnerability), psychosocial (e.g., relationship difficulties), and personality factors (e.g., neuroticism).

Medication is often used to treat depression, alongside therapy. If a person is significantly depressed, medication is often necessary to help lift one’s mood so that they’re able to engage in therapy and get the most out of it. Therapy is a key part of treatment for depression, and therefore, medication alone will likely not obtain the long-term sustained change in thinking patterns, feelings, and behaviours.