Someone with depression might think or say any of the following:
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- "I don't enjoy being with my friends or doing any of the things I usually love to do."
- "I feel sad all the time and just don't feel like myself."
- "I've been having a lot of trouble sleeping lately."
- "Sometimes I feel like my life is not worth living anymore."
- "I feel like I don't have any energy."
- "I'm not really interested in eating."
- "Even after a long day, I still feel restless."
- "I feel so indecisive; and I can't make any decisions."
- "I just feel so worthless."
- “I am having a lot of difficulty concentrating.”
- “I seem to be losing weight.”
- “I sleep all the time.”
- “I have lost all interest in being intimate with anyone.”
- “I feel guilty that i'm dragging everyone else down.”
- “My body aches all over for no real reason.”
- “I seem to be gaining weight.”
- “I feel so low.”
- “I have been getting headaches lately.”
- “I just don’t care about anything.”
- “I have been experiencing stomach pains.”
- “I often wake up in the middle of the night and have
trouble getting back to sleep.”
- “My joints and back hurt.”
Learn about the
symptoms of depression.
Depression may be
caused by one factor alone or a combination of factors.
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Some factors believed to contribute to depression include:
- Family history - depression can be something that runs in families.7
- An imbalance of chemicals in the brain.9
- Difficult life events.9
- Traumatic events in childhood such as the following, can influence a person’s mental outlook throughout their life:7
- abuse
- neglect
- divorce
- family violence
- Gender - women are more likely to develop depression than men.5
- Increased work demands – during such times people have a greater likelihood of becoming depressed.7
- Chronic illness seems to put someone at greater risk of becoming depressed.7
- Low income, living alone or divorced people tend to experience depression more frequently.7
- Substance abuse is often associated with depression. For example alcohol abuse.7
