World Mental Health Day - 10 Oct 2012

Visit HELP Library to read up books on Depression:

                  

                 

Signs of Depression

When people have depression, it affects their emotions and mood. It twists their way of thinking. Depression can also affect people physically, even causing body aches and pains. Not everyone who is depressed shows it in exactly the same way, though.

Here are some of the things people notice with depression:

• Negative feelings and mood.Depression involves feeling a negative, low mood for weeks or more. Someone with depression might feel unusually sad, discouraged, or defeated. He or she may feel hopeless, helpless, or alone. Some people feel guilty, unworthy, rejected, or unloved. Any or all of these emotions can be part of a depressed mood.
  
  Depression doesn't always cause people to feel mostly sad, though. For some people, depression shows up as a lasting mood of feeling irritable, easily annoyed, angry, or alienated.
• Negative thinking. When somebody has depression, it can cloud everything. The world looks bleak, and the person's thoughts reflect that hopelessness and helplessness. This can make a person think things will never get better, that problems are too big to solve, that nothing can improve the situation, or that nothing matters.
  
  People with depression tend to have negative and self-critical thoughts. They may believe they are worthless and unlovable — even though that's not true. Depression can cause someone to think that life isn't worth living. That can lead people with depression to think about harming themselves or about ending their own life.
• Low energy and motivation. People with depression may feel tired, drained, or exhausted. They might even move more slowly or take longer to do things. It can feel as if everything requires more effort. People who feel this way might have trouble motivating themselves to do or care about anything.
• Concentration. Depression can make it hard to concentrate and focus. It might be hard to complete schoolwork, pay attention in class, remember lessons, or stay focused on what others say.
• Physical symptoms. People can feel depression in their bodies as well as their minds. Some people have an upset stomach or loss of appetite. Some might gain or lose weight. Some people notice headaches and sleeping problems when they're depressed.
• Social withdrawing. Because of feelings of sadness and low energy, people with depression may pull away from friends and family or from activities they once enjoyed. This usually makes them feel more lonely and isolated. That can make the depression and negative thinking worse.

Source: http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/depression.html#