What exactly is depression? Depression is the common cold of the psychiatric illnesses. Statistically, 3 out of 10 people will experience clinical depression in their lifetime. You’re not alone.

Is Clinical depression a passing ‘blue’ mood? To answer simply, it is not just a passing blue mood. So, a person’s comment like ‘I know how you feel, I was depressed when my friend forgot our lunch date’, shows no understanding whatsoever! Ups and downs are part of normal life, but a clinical depression is different, it lasts much longer than normal. Depression is not understood by many people. It affects the way you eat and sleep, the way you feel about yourself, the way you see the world. Thoughts become very negative and out of touch with reality. Accepting that your thoughts are out of touch with reality is the start of heading out on the road of overcoming depression.

Is depression caused by bad experiences? Hard as it may be to believe, depression doesn’t stem from a bad experience, but rather from your personal thoughts associated with what happened. Unfortunately bad things do happen to good people, but depression is not the automatic reaction. Let me give some examples.

• You loose your job, what could your automatic thought be? Maybe something like, ‘I’m stupid, I’ll never get another job’. This type of thinking could lead you down the spiral of depression. On maybe it’s something like: ‘Hey, I’m okay, might need to reskill a bit, but let’s move on!’ With this type of thinking you’ll be able to move on with life. Don’t be hard on yourself, thoughts are automatic. You really wouldn’t choose thoughts that make you miserable. To overcome depression, you’ll have to start examining your thoughts. It’s a bit of detective work!

Is depression a personal weakness?  Rest assured, depression is NOT a personal weakness. It’s common amongst very competent people, probably because competent people and perfectionists are far more self-critical than someone who is more ‘happy-go-lucky’.

Can you use Will-power to get rid of depression? I really wish it were that easy! What about the comment ‘just pull yourself together’? I’m sure you’ve heard that one! How ridiculous can anyone get. Take great pity on someone who makes such a stupid comment. Rather do this, than let the remark eat you up and make you more depressed.

Listen to those monsters! Overcoming depression is not at all easy, I know because I’ve been there. Just as hunger pangs tell you your body needs food, depression tells you that all is not well in your emotional life. You have two choices. You can go into denial, but that’s really not going to work. A hungry tummy doesn’t listen if you try convincing it that it’s not hungry! Pretending you don’t have depression, when you do, also isn’t going to work. It’s a bit like trying to sweep some ugly monsters under the carpet. They will come up again and again and ‘bite you’ when they do! Overcoming depression involves ‘going with the flow’, and dealing with everything that comes your way as an opportunity for spring-cleaning your emotional life.

How can a medical doctor help? Someone with a broken arm goes to a doctor for treatment and someone with depression also needs to go to a doctor for treatment.  Clinical depression is a physical illness. You wouldn’t leave a broken arm to ‘heal itself’ would you? No, you’d go to the doctor because you know that in the end it is in your best interest, the only sensible thing to do. Change is difficult and can be painful, just like surgery.

What about the threat of Suicide? Always take suicide threats seriously. Often the seriously depressed person sees this as the only way out. Get them to the hospital, get to the doctor immediately for help. Remember, clinical depression is a physical illness and needs to be treated medically. There have been such huge development in medication for depression, there is help available. Medication can make all the difference.

To sum up … If you are, or think you are, suffering from a clinical depression seek out help, as soon as possible. No point in waiting and prolonging the agony.

• Depression is a physical illness, so for a start go to your family doctor. If s/he is unsympathetic to depression, find another doctor!
• Take the medication, it really does help (see page on Physical Aspects).
• Have therapy and read up about depression. Learn skills for overcoming depression.
• And lastly, be kind and loving to yourself!

If you’re in the pit of depression, what I’m now going to say may be hard to accept. There are many people who feel that they came out of depression, came out the other side, as a more whole person, really enjoying life for the first time, and I hope the same for you. Believe that the light you see at the end of the tunnel, are not the lights of a head-on speeding train, but rather the lights of a bright future! You just need to get through to the other side.

Because you’ve read this far, I know that you’re taking overcoming depression seriously. Well done! I hope that I can journey with you a while longer as you look at my other pages.