What is Depression?

Depression causes a low mood that lasts a long time and affects your daily life. It is a serious mental illness that is more than simply feeling unhappy or fed up for a few days.

Most people go through periods of feeling down, but when you’re depressed you feel persistently sad for weeks or months.

Some people think depression is trivial and not a genuine health condition. They’re wrong – it is a real illness with real symptoms. Depression is not a sign of weakness or state you can “snap out of” if you’re strong enough.

One in five UK adults have had depressive symptoms in 2021 in the UK.

Reports show that mild depression accounts for 70% of all cases.

Moderate depression accounts for 20% and severe depression, 10%

The total number of people living with depression increased by 18.4% in the period of 10 years.

What Are the Causes of Depression?

There are many different factors:

  • accumulated fatigue
  • monotony, boredom of everyday life,
  • seasons, gray cloudy weather
  • unjust accusations
  • job loss, fraud
  • separation from a loved one, divorce, death of a loved one …
  • the cause of depression can be hormonal adjustment at birth , menopause.

Depressive symptoms may occur for no apparent reason. But it should be noted that genetic factors can cause only a hereditary predisposition to melancholic states. Still, this does not mean that people with predisposition should give up. Proper lifestyle and prevention help enormously  to avoid depression.

How Symptoms of Depression Develop?

Besides everything that has been mentioned, negative information from various sides may be one of the causes. Negative information penetrates right into the heart and accumulates imperceptibly. If a affected person doesn’t  find a way  to get rid of the negativity, it may form a matrix of disease.

Soon the psyche shows the first signals-symptoms about the problem: tension, anxiety, low mood, disturbed sleep, pessimism. These are the first warning signs of depression.

If the situation does not improve , the brain “excludes” such a person from an improper lifestyle and simply includes the mechanism of depression.

The next stage is when classic symptoms of depression develop:

  • deep longing
  • tiredness and lack of energy
  • “mental pain” in the chest
  • lack of willpower
  • feeling guilty or worthless
  • restless or irritable
  • lacking in self-confidence and self-esteem
  • unable to enjoy things that usually bring you pleasure
  • helpless or hopeless
  • empty and numb
  • lack of interests
  • lack of motivation

Pessimism turns into a feeling of hopelessness and despair. It’s getting harder to hold back tears. As if covered by a black cloud, a person perceives any reality – past, present and future in a sad and negative way.

They don’t want anything, and feel apathy. No desire to communicate, answer phone calls, leave the house, watch TV. Weakness and chronic fatigue may join.

Curiosity disappears, interest in news, events of one’s own life. What pleased, excited, was desirable now becomes indifferent and burdensome. Favorite people, favorite delicacies, favorite activities – all this is not desired any more. Agedonia is deepening – the inability to enjoy.

Vital functions may be seriously impaired by depression:

  1. Insomnia with early morning/late night awakenings, lack of freshness and cheerfulness in the morning  (sometimes, on the contrary, excessive drowsiness in the afternoon)
  2. Sharp decrease in appetite to its complete loss in the morning (rarely comes to the occurrence  of nervous gluttony)
  3. Reduction or loss of libido – sexual urge and feelings
  4. Dissatisfaction with oneself, feelings of inferiority and guilt often join. This leads to a willingness to become a victim, to suffer punishment or self-punishment.

Finally, suicidal tendencies may emerge. At first, one thinks that life is burdensome, meaningless, and unnecessary. Then  more and more thoughts about death and suicide occur. Suicide planning and preparation may follow. And finally – practical steps in attempts to get out of life.


This stage of depression is an extremely dangerous form of subconscious struggle with their way of life. At this point it’s time to reassess your life and start making drastic changes.

In the twentieth century, this illness had been seen as a hereditary disease or as a reaction to significant psychological trauma. The reason for that  was found in biochemical disorders associated with serotonin, dopamine and other monoamines. These neurotransmitters have been regulated by medications. First of all, various antidepressants and sedatives. However, it turned out that this was not enough. If nothing changed in the lifestyle of one with depression, the illness may return.

depression uk

Masked (concealed) and atypical depression

In some cases happens that in addition to the classic symptoms, mental pain can disguise in the symptoms of other illnesses. Stomach pain, heart pain, changes in blood pressure, allergies, skin diseases lead a person to various specialists. If the real cause of the disease is hidden in the emotional sphere, without specific treatment for depression, these problems will not be solved.

This is how depression can be masked, manifesting itself in some cases in completely contradictory symptoms:
– Slowness and weight in the body
– Hyperactivity, restless movements
– Feelings of guilt, feelings of inferiority, self-aggression, negative attitude towards oneself.
– Hatred and aggression towards the environment
– Drowsiness during most of the day and night
– Increased appetite
– Sudden weight loss
– Many different digestive disorders
– Disorders of the heart and blood vessels
– Skin diseases, allergies, and pseudoallergies
– Alcoholism, tablet addiction, drug addiction

This list of depressive symptoms is endless. People get sick and look for help in various places, they experience disappointments, they fall into despair, and they find real help only when they turn to specialists in the field of depression.

Fortunately, modern methods of treating depression give excellent results. Accurate diagnosis, correct treatment strategy, individually selected pharmacotherapy, inspiring psychotherapy, and drug-free INFOSTART method – these are the conditions for success. RefindYourWay specializes in such matters. Feel free to write to us, we will study your case and find a solution.