Depression

Feeling unhappy is a completely common emotion but if these feelings of sadness are persistent and won’t go away then it may be an indicator of something that goes deeper. Depression can affect us on a daily basis and limit our ability to function conventionally at work or home, with common feelings of worthlessness, dread, hopelessness and ongoing sadness.

Depression can be triggered by events in life such as a divorce, a death, financial or legal worries, job loss, sexual abuse, bullying or having a baby, but sometimes it is simply genetic and down to family history.

Unaddressed, it can last for months or years but, on the positive side, many make a full recovery. And you may be surprised to know just how common depression is - in fact, the World Health Organization estimates that more than 320 million of us are living with depression globally. One in five of us will experience it at some point in our lives but with many conquering depression and going on to live a healthy and happy life.

We are all different, so the way we treat your depression will depend on a number of factors. But treatment will commonly combine a number of different approaches like talking therapies, a change in lifestyle and medicines. With the right treatment, most people with depression can make a full recovery.