When low mood filters in …

It may be gradual and for an apparent reason. There may be a trigger or number of factors that accumulate:

Weather changes, social battery running low or not getting any charge, relationship, work or study stress and pressure, financial challenges. These and others are what I might call external factors.

If you find yourself eating or sleeping a lot less or a lot more than usual and moving or exercising less (internal factors) can interplay and cause their part in a downward cycle of low mood.

When do you consider depression? Clinical description is usually six weeks or more for most affects (mood changes) but I feel a lot can happen in six weeks and we are not constant so this might be difficult to measure. Are there moments of time when things feel better or different? Does anxiety or anger appear to provide an apparent energy boost? Is forgetfulness impacting and does time seem to feel as though hours pass slower or faster for you? Clinical and medical scientific approaches rely on data and quantitative measure. Our emotions are not as easy to quantify and rate by scale or time.

Talking therapies are a way to explore how things are without being categorised, judged or labelled on a scale.

Research shows that therapy alongside medical support can greatly improve recovery and emotional wellbeing, even for those living with challenges such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, depression, severe anxiety, or the lasting effects of neglect and abuse. You don’t have to walk this path alone—together, we can create space for growth, resilience, and hope.