Fact sheet about clinical depression
Clinical depression is a serious illness with approximately one in five people being affected by the illness in their lifetime.
Causes of clinical depression
Clinical depression is caused by many factors rather than a single issue. Factors can include genetics, personality, chemical imbalance and life stress. Depression is often experienced in conjunction with other mental illnesses, and it can also occur with an acute illness such as cancer, diabetes or obesity.
Symptoms of depression
Someone who is depressed may show a lack of interest in everyday life and experience feelings of:
- bleakness
- hopelessness
- morbid thoughts
- lacking energy
- feeling irritable and moody
- wanting to be alone
- loss of self-esteem
- weight loss or gain
- inability to cope with everyday stress
- sleeping problems.
Treatment program for clinical depression
Wesley Hospital Ashfield and Wesley Hospital Kogarah’s treatment programs for depression combine medication and cognitive behavioural therapy, which has been shown to be effective in treating depression. Our treatment programs focus on building symptom management skills and self-esteem, and include:
- in-patient therapy – providing collaborative treatment sessions to help manage symptoms and identify negative thought processes and aspects of life through cognitive behavioural therapy
- day patient program – our day patient programs for the treatment of depression also use cognitive behavioural therapy. Our qualified psychologists work with you to develop life skills enabling:
- symptoms of depression to be monitored and
- the behavioural or thought patterns contributing to depression to be identified.
We work with you to develop skills to cope more effectively with stress, and aim to increase family support and to build support networks.
In order to be most effective and enable people to lead productive lives, treatment for depression needs to take into account all aspects of life. We help you to understand depression and regain control over thoughts and feelings. We also help develop an understanding of the triggers of depression, and teach strategies to reduce the distress of depression.
Our treatment program for depression focuses on:
- a combination of medical, psychological and skill-building factors
- programs for those experiencing dysthymia (constantly feeling depressed)
- those in the unipolar depression phase of bipolar disorder
- managing thought processes
- skill-building to help cope with future episodes
- goal setting and following direction
- mindfulness and self-awareness.
Ways to keep stress at bay
- exercise every day – even a gentle 20-minute walk will help
- set yourself a small goal every day – even something as simple as having a shower before 10am
- do one thing for yourself every week – it might be meditation, writing or taking a long bath
- learn how to relax by practising breathing techniques.
- test your thoughts – ask yourself what proof you have to back up your negative thinking.
Contact us to discuss treatment options for depression.
Need help now?
Please talk to someone if you feel alone, afraid or feel that life is not worth living. Consider calling Lifeline on 13 11 14 where you can speak to a counsellor 24 hours, seven days a week for the cost of a local call (excluding mobiles).
