What is low mood?
We all feel sad at times during our lives; it is a part of being human. Depression, which is often called ‘clinical depression’, involves feeling sad (or low in mood) most of the time. This may be experienced as a feeling of numbness, hopelessness and pointlessness.
Depression can stop people enjoying things they like and can make it harder to do everyday tasks like housework and shopping. Depression can lead to people becoming isolated and withdrawn.
Changes in the body
People experiencing depression may get aches and pains that seem to have no particular cause. They may feel tired most of the time, or they might feel restless. Sleep can be affected. Some people experiencing depression may find it difficult to sleep whereas others might sleep a lot. Appetite may increase or decrease, causing changes in weight.
Changes in what you do
Depression can cause people to become less active and they might stop doing things they used to do. They may not enjoy things that they used to love doing. People experiencing depression may withdraw from relationships and friendships, and struggle to get out of the house. Some people find that their sex drive is lowered.
Depression can happen for lots of reasons
It’s often linked to stressful life events such as bereavement, redundancy, poverty, divorce or bullying. Depression may be linked to the way you are living your day-to-day life which may not be an easy thing to change, especially if your mood is low. You may feel trapped in a situation which you know is not conducive to wellbeing.
Many people say that a combination of circumstances or events led their feelings of depression.
People with long term physical health conditions are more likely to experience depression.
Isolation and loneliness are also common causes.
Some women are especially vulnerable to depression after pregnancy. Hormonal and physical changes, and the responsibility of a new life, can lead to postnatal depression.
People are more likely to develop depression if they tend to be very self-critical, or if a close family member has also experienced depression.
Some things can make depression worse
- When a person has depression they might not want to talk to anybody about it, but this can make things worse things.
- Many people turn to alcohol or drugs as a way of coping, but these can increase your experience of depression.
How can I help myself?
There are lots of things that people find helpful, such as:
- Talking to friends, family, staff or helpers about how you are feeling.
- Trying to eat well with regular, healthy meals.
- Trying to do some exercise: there’s good evidence that physical activity helps depression.
- Reconnecting with activities that were once pleasurable, like hobbies.
- Self-soothing: try to identify things in your life that you feel good about and write them down. Try having a warm bath or a comforting meal.
- Making small lifestyle changes, or making plans to change the way that you are living day-to-day.
How other people can help you
- Depending on the nature of depression, there are a range of recommended treatments if self-help is not enough.
- Talking therapies include cognitive behavioural therapy, interpersonal therapy and counselling.
- There are around 30 different types of anti-depressant medication which may be prescribed on their own, in combination or alongside talking therapy.
- Some people really benefit from support groups for depression, these are available in several parts of the UK.
For further information and support, visit the Depression Alliance website.
Go to Depression AllianceFeeling Suicidal
Some people may become so overwhelmed by their thoughts and feelings they want to end their own life. They might be experiencing unbearable physical or psychological pain, may feel desperate and feel like it would be better for everyone else if they were dead.
Suicidal feelings can be very difficult to cope with, and even harder to talk about. There is still a lot of stigma around talking about suicide. But, for the majority of people who experience suicidal feelings, with the right support, things can get better.
TheCalmZone offers advice and support for men.
Go to TheCalmZonePeople in the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and questioning) community are also more at risk of suicide. Visit Switchboard for more information and guidance.
Go to SwitchboardAlso take a look at The Samaritans website – they provide a listening service for anyone experiencing suicidal feelings.
Go to The SamaritansPapyrus campaign for reducing suicide in young people. They also have a helpline – 0800 068 41 41.
Go to PapyrusPersonal Experience 1
Laura’s Poem ‘Depression’
Personal Experience 2
A common portrayal of depression is an image of somebody sat on the floor, hands on top of their head, a look of mental anguish and turmoil on their face. While some people may experience depression in this manner, and can be prone to such intense feelings and emotions, depression can be much more than this. It can manifest itself in different ways, and may not even appear visible to others – many people with depression are good at hiding it, and can, on the outside at least, appear as happy and functioning individuals. Yet deep inside things can be considerably different.
My experiences with depression are more ‘atypical’ in the sense that I have not had any ‘episodes’ or cycles of depression interspersed with periods of feeling relatively ‘normal’. My depression is classed as ‘dysthymia’, which is also known as ‘persistent depressive disorder’ or ‘neurotic depression’. While it is less severe than major depressive disorder, it is a chronic condition that can remain undiagnosed for years and can affect someone’s life significantly.
When depression became an issue
In my case, depression first became an issue in my late teens. It manifested itself as a general sense of sadness, poor motivation, and low self-esteem – while I was not suicidal in any way, I still questioned what the purpose of life and living was all about. Like many people with dysthymia, I found that it was difficult to find a sense of pleasure in things, including hobbies and interests, a symptom which is known as ‘anhedonia’. I started to crave alcohol. I used to enjoy several pints of beer each night while playing computer games in my bedroom. Despite this, I was still able to live a relatively normal life, finishing my degree and holding down full time employment in a bank. I started looking forward to the evenings just so that I could enter into this slightly tipsy state, which provided a sense of ‘escape’.
My journey with depression did not end there
Partly because of a too-rapid discontinuation from a prescribed antidepressant, I experienced an exacerbation of my previous symptoms, and also started experiencing some new ones. I had unexplained aches and pains, fatigue, poor concentration, memory, and other cognitive problems, emotional blunting, and dysphoria. This persisted even after I went back on antidepressants. I became less social. I wanted to hide myself away from others and retreat to a ‘safe space’.
Still recovering
While I am still recovering from this setback, and trying to manage my chronic depression as much as possible, there are a number of things that have helped me. One is to gain a sense of purpose in life – this doesn’t have to be paid employment, but could be volunteering, education, or even self-taught learning of an instrument or language. I find that doing structured activities encourages me to be more sociable and helps me take my mind off any challenges I am going through, as well as helping me feel as if I am giving something back to society. I discovered that limiting my alcohol consumption has helped. Alcohol is after all a depressant.
I believe that exercise can help immensely. I enjoy hillwalking, and while I often start a walk feeling that I should have stayed in bed, I end the day feeling considerably more upbeat. Walking also enables me to engage with my other main hobby, photography, and looking at the photos afterwards helps me to associate walking with positive memories and emotions.
While chronic depression can be harder to treat than ‘classic’ acute depression, there are still ways that individuals can minimise negative emotions and gain more of a sense of hope and optimism. While I may live with this condition for the rest of my life, I have more awareness of it and how I can manage it constructively.’
Exploring Depression: Online Resource
Our free online course explores the topic of depression, the most common mental health condition that can affect people of all ages. It also looks at living with depression and recovery, and how to find further help and support if you or someone you know needs it.
To explore this resource go to the courses section at the top of this page.
Low Mood in Young People
It’s normal for young people to feel sad and upset when they are faced with difficult times and challenging circumstances. These feelings usually pass after a short time and they get back to being themselves. It’s common for young people to have emotional ups and downs during their teenage years when they are dealing with all the physical and emotional changes that go along with adolescence. Sometimes it can be difficult as a parent or carer to know if your young person is experiencing common adolescent mood swings, or if it is something that might benefit from further support.
If a young person’s feelings of sadness persist for more than two weeks, start to affect the way they think and feel about themselves, or interfere with their ability to enjoy life, at home, at school and with their friends it could be a sign of depression. Anyone can experience depression; it can affect people of all ages, genders and race.
What is it?
Feelings of low mood and sadness can be viewed across a spectrum of mild, moderate and severe symptoms. Milder forms of depression can mean feeling in low spirits. It may not stop a young person leading their normal life, but it can make everything seem harder to do and feel less worthwhile. There are lots of things that can be done to help a young person feel better.
At its most severe however, depression can make their lives very difficult to manage. It can affect the relationships they have with family and friends. It may interfere with their school life and their social life. For some people it can be so bad that they lose the will to do anything. They may feel like there is no hope or might think about ending their life. If a young person is expressing suicidal thoughts, it’s important that the right help and support is put into place quickly. You can phone the emergency services in an emergency or phone 111 when it is less urgent. If the young person is under the care of a mental health team, you could phone them to ask for help and advice.
What signs to look out for
There are various things to look out for in your young person, such as:
- Feeling low and sad.
- Feeling like they can’t be bothered to do anything.
- Becoming withdrawn, avoiding friends and family.
- Not enjoying things that they usually would.
- Feeling moody and irritable.
- Finding it difficult to concentrate.
- Sleeping too much or too little.
- Loss of appetite or eating too much.
- Feeling guilty or bad.
- Having negative, self-critical thoughts.
- Can’t make decisions.
- Feeling worthless.
- Low self-confidence.
- Not looking after themselves.
- Feeling hopeless and wanting to die (this indicates severe depression and requires an immediate response).
- Suffering aches and pains.
Is there a cause?
There isn’t one single factor that causes depression, but things like our personality, life experiences, and family history can all play a part. Experiencing depression is more likely if you also suffer from physical health problems or if you are under a lot of stress. Depression can be triggered by lots of different things and often it is a mixture of factors rather than just one thing but sometimes there might not be any clear reason at all.
Some possible causes are:
- Difficulties at home.
- Parents separating.
- Death of a loved one.
- Difficulties at school such as bullying or exam pressure.
- Feeling lonely.
- Relationship problems.
- Abuse / traumatic events.
- Lots of changes all happening at once.
- Becoming physically unwell.
- Issues around identity / sexuality / gender.
How can I help?
Talking
Talking to your child about how they feel is an important first step. Let them know that you have noticed that they seem sad and that you are there to listen and support them. Try to avoid asking too many questions or jumping in with lots of solutions; encourage your child to talk by asking open questions and listen with empathy and care to show you are trying to understand.
If your young person doesn’t want to talk, you can let them know you are there and try again another day or encourage them to share how they feel by writing it down. Writing down how they feel can be helpful even if the writing is not shared. You could encourage them to keep a mood diary about how they feel.
If they find it difficult to talk to you, encourage them to confide in another trusted adult, such as a teacher or GP, or give them information about online support and helplines. Some websites to suggest are ChildLine and Kooth. There are links below:
Go to ChildLine Go to KoothLook after their physical health
Keep active
When young people feel sad or low in mood, they often stop doing things that they previously enjoyed and end up spending lots of time inactive and alone. There is a lot of evidence that tells us exercise can help them to feel better. It can help to improve self-esteem, concentration, sleep quality and provide a distraction. When we exercise our body releases endorphins, which are chemicals that can make us feel good.
Eat a balanced diet
Food can sometimes affect our mood. There is a link between what we eat and how we feel, so it’s important to have a healthy, balanced diet for both your body and mind. Try to encourage your young person to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, and to drink when they are thirsty to stay hydrated. Below are some helpful websites with information about eating a healthy, balanced diet:
Go to NHS Live wellSleep
A good night’s sleep is important for our body and mind. Falling asleep and staying asleep can be difficult if we are feeling low or worried about things. Staying active throughout the day and using some of the advice below can help to improve sleep, ensure your young person feels more rested and improves their mood.
Young people should have a round nine hours sleep a night. Getting into a good routine may help improve sleep duration and quality, as may reducing technology use close to bedtime.
Go to ChildLine Info and Advice for Sleeping ProblemsRelax
It’s important that young people find time to relax and take some time to unwind. There are a lot of exercises they can try to help them to feel calmer and more relaxed, such as breathing exercises and guided meditation:
Other activities they could try include colouring in books, reading, going for a walk or having a relaxing bath.
Look after yourself
As parents and carers, you play a crucial part in your child’s health and wellbeing, and sometimes this might not be easy when your child is having a difficult time. In order to support your child it’s important that you make time to look after your own emotional wellbeing and find support for yourself. All of the advice above for supporting a young person can also help parents and carers to look after their own wellbeing.
Sharing your feelings and staying connected with trusted family and friends can also be helpful.
Top Tips
- Listen to your young person to find out what caused the low mood
- Build an activity diary together to help them have a routine
- Encourage your young person every day to do something they enjoy, this may be nice to do together
- Read up about low mood
- Don’t be scared, talk to other parents who have gone through this
- Notice all the positive steps your young person is making and tell them
- Still parent, they may push and make you feel guilty but house rules still apply
- Use the same strategies yourself, your young person will learn from you too
- Be patient, it takes time
- Reward the positive changes
Further Support
For most young people, support from family and friends will be enough to help them start to feel better. However if the feelings of low mood persist, get worse or are having an impact on a young person’s daily life, then it might be useful to seek advice from a GP who can arrange for further support from a professional. YoungMinds organisation offer a free Parent Information Service which provides information and advice on child mental health issues; you can phone them on 0800 0182138 or visit the YoungMinds website.
Go to YoungMindsPersonal Experience
If you’d like to share your personal experience, email tewv.vrc@nhs.net to find out more.