If you suspect you might be depressed, please know that you are not alone. If you are open to the idea of therapy, we can work together to understand your situation, gain insight and help you to know yourself better. Perhaps you have unhelpful patterns which you repeat, and we can work together for you to recognise these and change them from within. We can develop coping strategies to help you to emerge from your depressive state and make progress with both your mental state and your life.

We all go through periods of feeling less cheerful and positive than usual and this is often a perfectly rational response to life events. Sometimes, we might even experience these feelings for no reason at all. However, if they continue and start to impinge on your life, it is time to seek help.

One in six people will experience depression – it is one of the most common forms of mental illness. You might experience symptoms including a general sense of pessimism, a lack of motivation, insomnia, loss of appetite, irritability, weeping, avoiding social situations, suicidal thoughts and a loss of libido. It might also manifest itself as a general lack of interest in and enthusiasm for life.

If you don’t seek help, this situation could persist for months, or even years. This will have a significant effect on your personal and professional relationships and mental health, not to mention your ability to cope effectively with everyday situations.

Symptoms of depression

If you are experiencing a bout of depression, know that help is available and you do not have to face this situation on your own. You will benefit significantly from therapy if you are experiencing a combination of the following symptoms:

  • Tearfulness
  • Thoughts of suicide
  • Difficulty in concentrating
  • An inability to make decisions
  • Lack of interest in sex
  • Significant changes in sleeping patterns
  • Difficulties in regulating your emotions
  • Feelings of worthlessness or that you are letting people down
  • Avoiding social situations, even when these involve close friends
  • Getting no pleasure from hobbies or activities that you usually enjoy
  • Feeling listless, agitated and irritable
  • Feeling stuck or trapped