What is depression?

Everyone feels sad or down from time to time.

You can get the ‘blues’ through loss or disappointment, such as missing out on something that was important to you, or losing something valuable. 

Sadness or the ‘blues’ is a normal reaction to negative situations. These feelings usually lessen after a few hours, a day or two, or a good night’s sleep.

Depression is a more persistent condition, which can last for weeks, months or even years. It affects not only the way you feel, but also the way you

think and behave. Depression is not just a mood that you can ‘snap out of’. Depression affects your overall sense of wellness and your motivation to

get even the simplest things done.

Common signs of depression include:

• feeling sad or miserable most of the time
• losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
• changes in appetite or weight
• having difficulty in getting to sleep or waking early
• feeling tired and lacking in energy
• feeling guilty or worthless
• feeling lethargic, restless or edgy
• having difficulty concentrating or making decisions
• thinking repeatedly of death or suicide

For more information including some tips on how to manage depression, please download the attached file:

Tool Kit for Beating the Blues | pdf 150.7 kb

Other recommended websites for information about depression include:

www.lifeline.org.au
www.beyondblue.org.au
www.ybblue.com.au
www.moodgym.anu.edu.au
www.bluepages.anu.edu.au
www.crufad.unsw.edu.au
www.infrapsych.com

The following information is provided by Lifeline’s Information Service.