Depression affects people in different ways, and brings about different combinations of warning signs for each person. What is common to everyone is that depression brings changes.
Sometimes, depression brings quite obvious changes. It is almost as if you can't recognise yourself anymore. You might look at this new self and not like what you see, not realising that it is depression which has changed you.
Sometimes the tunnel vision brought on by depression means that you do not realise how much you're being affected. In this case, it can be friends, family or others who point out that you're different or that something isn't right.
The changes depression brings will be different for each person. The changes may feel very subtle and internal, with the 'public' you seeming to go on as normal. Or the changes may be obvious and dramatic. It may feel as if you have been very suddenly affected, or you may look back and notice a long, slow slide down into depression.
If you have checked the warning signs and think depression may be affecting you, it would be useful to look more carefully for what specific changes have taken place in your life:
Click here for a comprehensive personal survey to print off and fill in.
Your answers can provide very useful information for a doctor or other professional who you go to for help. It can also help in trying to work out why depression is affecting you, and in choosing strategies for tackling depression and finding what works for you.
