What is depression?

• Learn about depression
• Understand how depression can affect your mood
• Learn how depression can affect your thinking
• See the effects depression can have on your behaviour
• Recognise the physical symptoms of depression 
• Get treatment for depression

Understanding depression

Depression is more than just feeling sad or blue from time to time. Depression is an intense feeling of sadness or low mood that lasts for a long time, sometimes weeks, months, or years. If you are depressed, it can start to interfere with the daily activities in your life. Depression can impact how you think, feel, and behave.

In addition to persistent feelings of sadness, if you are depressed, you may also feel hopelessness and lose interest in activities you once enjoyed. When you feel depressed, you can also have physical symptoms such as tiredness, changes in appetite and sleep patterns, and difficulty concentrating. Around one in seven Australians will experience depression in their lifetime. [1]

“You can get help for depression.”

If your mood has been low for over two weeks, you can seek help. Speak with a SuicideLine Victoria counsellor for free by calling 1300 651 251. You do not need a referral.

Do I have depression? Common depression symptoms

Everyone is different, but there are some common signs and symptoms of depression that you may be experiencing:

Mood

• Feeling sad / overwhelming sadness
• Feeling numb
• Feeling frustrated
• Getting irritable easily
• Feeling guilty
• Feeling down / feeling low
• Feeling miserable.

Thinking

• Being very self-critical (e.g. “I feel worthless”, “I am a failure”)
• Thinking you cannot cope
• Difficulty making decisions
• Unable to concentrate
• Thoughts of suicide or self-harm
• Thinking that nothing good ever happens to me.

Behaviour

• Losing interest in things and activities you used to enjoy
• Lacking motivation
• Lacking confidence
• Crying a lot
• Losing your temper more than usual
• Avoiding friends and family.

Physical changes

• Loss of appetite
• Significant change in weight
• Difficulty sleeping
• Headaches
• Stomach aches
• Feeling tired
• Feeling sick.

Causes of depression

Depression is complex and can be caused by a variety of factors. While the exact cause of depression is not fully understood, research has identified several contributing factors that may increase a person’s risk of developing depression.

These factors include family history, life events, physical health, and brain chemistry. Read more about the causes of depression.

Depression and anxiety

Depression and anxiety are common mental health conditions, but they are different. Depression is characterised by intense and persistent feelings of sadness and low mood. Whereas anxiety is a feeling of worry, fear or unease that is long-lasting and starts to interfere with a person’s daily life and activities.

It is possible to have both depression and anxiety at the same time. Sometimes anxiety may be a symptom of depression, or an anxiety disorder can cause depression. Both can be treated at the same time.

Depression treatment

Health professionals who can help with depression treatment

Treatment for depression is very common, and there are health professionals who can help you:

• GPs – your first step may be to make an appointment with your doctor. Your GP can undertake an assessment, check for any physical health issues, develop a mental health treatment plan, and give you a referral to speak to a psychologist or a psychiatrist.
• Psychologists – there are different psychological treatments a psychologist might use, including cognitive behaviour therapy, problem-solving therapy, behavioural activation, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.
• Psychiatrists – a psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specialises in mental health. They may use a combination of psychological treatment and medication.
• Mental Health Nurses – a mental health nurse specialises in mental health conditions and usually works with a team of other health professionals in a community setting. They can help with depression treatment and facilitate links to other services.
• Counsellors – you can find counsellors in community health centres, schools/universities, private practice, and on some helplines. Our SuicideLine Victoria counsellors are trained in mental health issues, including depression. If you need help, call us any time of the day – our service is free. Call 1300 651 251.

Tips to improve your mood when you feel depressed

In addition to reaching out to a health professional, the Australian Psychological Society suggests the following tips to help improve your mood if you are feeling depressed: [2]

• Check your self-talk – Negative self-talk can worsen our mood, whereas positive self-talk can help us cope with life’s difficulties.
• Keep things in perspective – When we are upset, it’s easy to see things as worse than they really are. Take a step back and ask if you’re getting ahead of yourself by assuming something terrible will happen. You can also think about how you would cope, even if the worst happened.
• Take action – Make a list of things you enjoy doing and a list of things that give you a sense of achievement. Try to make time each day to do at least one thing from each list.
• Practise relaxation or mindfulness – Regularly practising relaxation techniques or mindfulness can help settle your body in a calm state.
• Look after your health – Diet, exercise and other healthy behaviours can support your recovery from depression.

If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of depression, please seek help. Depression is treatable, and you don’t have to go it alone.

SuicideLine Victoria provides immediate support for anyone feeling depressed. In addition, we can provide ongoing support with up to four telephone counselling sessions or online counselling.

Call us on 1300 651 251 or you can click on the floating chat button on the right to start a web chat.

If it is an emergency, please call 000.

References

[1] Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2009). National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing: Summary of Results, 4326.0, 2007. ABS: Canberra.

[2] Australian Psychological Society https://psychology.org.au/for-the-public/psychology-topics/depression/tips-to-improve-your-mood