Depression
Depression is one of the most common mental health concerns in young Australians. Depression in young people is characterised by a significant, noticeable negative change in mood, thoughts, and behaviour. Depression will impact how you live in a number of ways.
´´Listening flows out of the gospel: it can affirm and restore dignity, it can take away shame, it can empower and bring hope.´´
- Alison Courtney
Signs & Symptoms | Beyond Blue
Behaviour
Not going out anymore
Not getting things done at work/school
Withdrawing from close family and friends
Relying on alcohol and sedatives
Not doing usual enjoyable activities
Unable to concentrate
Feelings
overwhelmed
guilty
irritable
frustrated
lacking in confidence
unhappy
indecisive
disappointed
miserable
sad
Thoughts
'I’m a failure.'
'It’s my fault.'
'Nothing good ever happens to me.'
'I’m worthless.'
'Life’s not worth living.'
'People would be better off without me.'
Physical
tired all the time
sick and run down
headaches and muscle pains
churning gut
sleep problems
loss or change of appetite
significant weight loss or gain
Developed by Beyond Blue, NewAccess is a free and confidential mental health coaching program for anyone feeling stressed or overwhelmed about everyday life issues, such as work, study, relationships, health or loneliness.
¨The church's relationship with depression has been fraught: for centuries, depression was assumed to be evidence of personal sin or even demonic influence. The depressed have often been ostracized or institutionalized. In recent years the conversation has begun to change, and the stigma has lessened- but as anyone who suffers from depression knows, we still have a long way to go.
In Companions in the Darkness , Diana Gruver looks back into church history and finds depression in the lives of some of our most beloved saints... Not only can these saints teach us valuable lessons about the experience of depression, they can also be a source of hope and empathy for us today. They can be our companions in the darkness.¨