Seeking Help
Representative PSW’s for the Different Departments
Symptoms of Clinical Depression
- Loss of Interest – Lack of derived pleasure from activities that were previously enjoyable. Lack of motivation in day-to-day activities. Procrastinating, trouble focusing on tasks, feeling lethargic.
- A general feeling of sadness – Feeling sad and empty and having negative thoughts such as feeling helpless, worthless, hopeless etc.
- Behavioural and personality changes – Irritability, being seclusive, disturbed sleep and appetite, significant weight loss or gain, low self-esteem.
- A tendency to self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
When to seek help
When any of the symptoms are consistent over an extended period, or they lead to disturbance in one’s day to day life. The key symptoms of the above to look at are – Reclusive behaviour, loss of interests, a general feeling of sadness for a prolonged duration.
While the above scenarios need one to consult a professional, it is not mandatory for one to have them to feel the need to seek help. Anyone who needs to be finding it difficult to understand and handle the situation can always talk to a psychologist. One need not have clinical depression or any mental illness for that matter to consult a psychologist.
How to seek help.
Consult a mental health professional.
An efficient way to tackle depression is to fall back on your social support system. Try to talk to your partner, a trusted friend or a close member of the family about how you are feeling.
If you do not feel comfortable talking to any close friends or family or feel the need for trained supervision or absolute confidentiality, you can always consult a psychologist or a psychiatrist directly.
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