Depression
Depression can affect anyone at any age and is more than just a low mood – it’s a serious illness. While all of us feel down and out from time to time, people suffering from depression have intense feelings of sadness and depression for long periods of time and often for no reason.
Depression is the most common mental health problem and one in five people experience depression at some point in their lives.
Signs of depression
Some common signs of depression are:
• Moods that are out of character
• Irritability
• Inability to take minor personal criticism
• Spending less time with friends and family
• Loss of interest in food, sex, exercise or other areas of enjoyment
• Not being able to sleep, or sleeping too much
• Reduced motivation
• Poor concentration
• Lower energy levels
How to tell if it’s depression
If you think you may be suffering from depression you will need to assess if you have been experiencing and of the symptoms above. Sometimes it’s not as easy as pinpointing a few symptoms and relating these directly to depression.
Another effective way to evaluate your mood can be by completing some simple self-tests either online or with your GP.
You can try some test online at:
Beyond Blue – click here for online tests
Black Dog Institute – click here for online tests
Treatments
There are many different treatments for depression and new treatments and medications appear regularly. Different types of depression responded differently to different types of treatment.
When deciding on treatment for depression it is important to consult your GP for the best course of treatment for you, whether it be medication, psychology or a mix of both.
More information
There is plenty of information on depression online, some great places to start are:
• Beyond Blue - visit www.beyondblue.org.au or phone 1300 22 4636
• Youth Beyond Blue – visit www.youthbeyondblue.com
• Black Dog Institute – visit www.blackdoginstitute.org.au or phone (02) 9382 4530
• Sane Australia – visit www.sane.org
• PANDA – Post and Antenatal Depression Association Inc – visit www.panda.org.au
June is Blue Month
June is the month for turning blue! Netball Australia has teamed up with beyondblue to raise awareness of depression and anxiety. Netballers around the country will be encouraged to’ turn blue’ for the month of June in support of this cause.
An ANZ Championship Festival of the Stars Celebrity Netball Match will take place at Melbourne’s Hisense Arena on Sunday June 6. These celebrity netball teams will play to raise awareness of depression and anxiety for beyondblue and breast cancer for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
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