What is Depression?

Depression is a constant low mood that can last weeks, months or years and affects your daily life. It can affect many aspects of your life including your social life and wellbeing, as it can cause self sabotaging behaviors. Depression can often dominate your life and can cause constant feelings of helplessness and loneliness that can affect you in many ways. Depression can affect the person's physical and mental health and can cause damage that can stay with the person for a long time. 

You can visit nhs.uk for specialist information about depression in children and young people.

What does Depression look like?

Depression can present differently in every single person who experiences it. Depression has a range of different symptoms depending on the individual but common symptoms can be lasting feelings of unhappiness, hopelessness, losing interest in things you enjoy, being irritable or grumpy, feeling tired and exhausted a lot of the time, having trouble sleeping or sleeping more often, lack of concentration, interacting less with friends and family, lack of confidence, fluctuations in weight, feeling guilty or worthless, having a feeling of emptiness and being numb and having thoughts about suicide or self harming.

Symptoms can range from mild to severe but no matter what, if you feel like you need help, you should seek advice quickly.

How can you support a peer with Depression?

When supporting someone with depression it is best to respect their boundaries and allow them to open up as much as they are comfortable with, without making them feel uneasy or isolated. Young Minds gives the following advice for supporting someone else struggling with depression - 

1) Try to open up a conversation about what is going on 

2) Listen and provide emotional support

3) Encourage them to speak to someone else if they don't feel able to talk to you 

4) Help them to consider their support circle

5) Encourage them to think about what they enjoy doing 

6) Assist them to do the daily things that support their wellbeing

7) Attempt to come up with a plan to move forward with to provide support

8) Reassure them and acknowledge their feelings 

What help is available for Depression?

It may be best to seek help or advice if you are experiencing depression. You can go and talk to a friend, family member, guardian, health professional such as a GP or a counsellor. 

A teacher, support worker or trusted mental health champion at school may be helpful to talk to as well or you may feel more comfortable talking on an online helpline such as Mind or the Samaritans.  Depression may be helped with talking therapies, CBT, medication or other methods recommended by a therapist or GP.

How can I help myself?

A healthy diet, exercise and cutting down on alcohol and drugs can contribute to a better mental health and may ease symptoms of depression. 

Top Tips -

1) Try to surround yourself with friends and family

2) Try to get outside in nature 

3) Go for walks or exercise in a way that makes you feel happy

4) Try to find a healthy coping mechanism - this can be different for every person so try to find what works for you 

5) Try to let your feelings out - bottling up can lead to overwhelming emotions so letting them out by talking to others or writing down your feelings