The causes of depression can be a mixture of biological, circumstantial, chemical, social and learned responses. While it is helpful to assess and work on all of these factors, there are common cognitive and behavioural traits that can be looked at as well.
First though, let me make the distinction between depression and sadness. It is natural to feel sad, for example, after the loss of a loved one, or following a disappointment. When 'low mood' becomes depression, is when the thoughts behind the mood are unhelpful, untrue or unrealistic. For example, "My budgie has died and I miss the company." would feel vastly different to, " My budgie has died, why do bad things always happen to me? I can't see that things will ever get any better for me." The first would incur a feeling of loss and sadness, and a recognition that a significant event has occurred. The second feels more like a future condemned to misery and would in turn lead to stronger feelings, (eg depression) and an inability to see a way out. This commonly makes people want to withdraw into themselves, and loose motivation for the things that they previously enjoyed. Depression will start to colour all that you do, think, feel, your relationships, work and how you spend your free time.
Low Mood forms such a vast spectrum, that it is impossible to list all of the possible feelings, behaviours and symptoms, but CBT has been proven to be an effective form of help wherever you are on the scale. If you would like to take a quick assessment, then try Beck's Depression Inventory. The higher you score, the more discomfort you will be feeling. If your scores are moderate or above, you may even like to think about seeing your GP about anti-depressants to help ease the discomfort while you take time to look at the underlying causes of your mood. Please also contact your GP if your mood is such that you have considered taking your own life.
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