Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Children & Young People Mental Health Support

DEPRESSION

Feeling sad, low, down or lonely can be difficult feelings to bear.  These feelings are uncomfortable, even painful at times.  However they are important feelings to have from time to time and inform us when difficult things are happening in our lives. These feelings in themselves don’t mean there’s anything wrong with you.

So how do you know when you have depression?

Depression is a condition which can develop over time.  It can happen when the sad, difficult feelings just won’t go away, and start to have an impact on everyday life.  Depression can affect us in lots of different ways and might have an impact on how you feel, think or behave.

You might feel:

  • down and tearful all the time
  • tired, lacking energy and motivation
  • bad about yourself, guilty or worthless
  • numb or empty
  • hopelessness or helplessness
  • that there’s no point to anything, that life isn’t worthwhile 

You might think:

  • a lot of negative thoughts
  • suicidal thoughts and feelings
  • you are a burden to other people
  • people are better off without you

Your behaviour might change and you might:

  • not be able to sleep- or the opposite, sleeping too much
  • experience a loss of appetite – or on the other hand comfort eating or eating too much
  • have problems concentrating
  • not be able to enjoy the things that used to be fun
  • become withdrawn, shut down

If you notice that you have been feeling low for weeks at a time and it doesn’t seem to go away or even gets worse, you don’t have to through this by yourself.  Talking to someone you can trust might make a big difference to how you feel.

You can also talk to your doctor who will discuss the different options for you.  This might include medication.  This is not always appropriate for everyone, and is not the only option. There are also “talking therapies” which can be very effective.
Centre 33 offers someone to talk to in confidence about how you feel. You will be listened to, taken seriously, and not judged.

Managed by The SUN Network