Understanding Depression and Low Mood

Everyone experiences periods of low mood at times. You may feel sad, anxious, frustrated, or simply “not yourself.” Often these feelings pass within a few days or weeks, especially with rest, support or small changes in daily life.

However, when low mood lasts for two weeks or more, it may indicate more than just a temporary dip in how you’re feeling. This is what we mean by a sign of depression. Depression is a common but serious condition that can affect anyone. It can become overwhelming and have a major impact on daily life, relationships, work and even the smallest of tasks.

Depression is one of the most common mental health difficulties and experiencing it does not mean you are weak or failing. It is an understandable human response to stress, loss, trauma or changes in life circumstances.

Depression can develop for many reasons. For some people it may be linked to life events such as past or current trauma, prolonged stress or major changes and transitions. For others, biological or hormonal changes may play a role and sometimes depression can appear even without a clear cause. Whatever the reason, your feelings are valid and support is available.

Common Symptoms of Depression and Low Mood

  • Persistent sadness or unhappiness
  • Feeling anxious, panicky, irritable, or angry
  • Loss of interest or enjoyment in usual activities
  • Tiredness, lack of energy, or difficulty sleeping (too much or too little)
  • Low self-confidence or self-esteem
  • Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism about the future
  • Excessive or inappropriate guilt
  • Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
  • Changes in appetite or weight
  • Repetitive negative thoughts
  • Suicidal thoughts or thoughts of self-harm

Coping in the Early Stages

In the early stages of depression, it can sometimes be possible to hide how you are really feeling from others. On the outside you may seem to be managing as usual, but inside it can feel very different. It’s common to try to push away your feelings, for example, by throwing yourself into work, keeping constantly busy or unhelpful coping strategies such as alcohol or drugs to cope. While these strategies may offer temporary feelings of relaxation or numbness, they can actually maintain low mood and make it worse over time.

A helpful approach is to gently build in activities that give you or used to give you a sense of pleasure, achievement, or meaning or to bring in some structure. These don’t have to be big or demanding; even small steps, such as going for a short walk, cooking a meal, or listening to music you once enjoyed can help. The aim isn’t to force yourself to feel better instantly but to create small opportunities for your mind and body to reconnect with things that support your wellbeing.

Getting Support

Although depression and low mood can feel overwhelming, they are treatable. With the right support, recovery is possible and many people go on to live fulfilling, meaningful lives. Reaching out for help is the first step.

In therapy, I can offer approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) (link to CBT page), EMDR therapy (link to EMDR page), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) (link to ACT page), Parts Work or Ego State therapy (link to parts work page), or I may draw on different evidence-based therapies to create a tailored approach that fits with your goals and individual needs.