Understanding Depression

1. UNDERSTANDING DEPRESSION

2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
 To be able to identify why someone might be feeling
depressed or hopeless, and to recognize the signs
that indicate that someone is becoming depressed
 To learn about ways to help someone who is feeling
depressed
 To appreciate how other people’s experiences
affect them in different ways

3. GROUND RULES
 In this lesson we will be covering some sensitive
issues. You may be affected personally by the topic
that we are discussing today, or you may know
someone else who is.
 Please be respectful and thoughtful of others and
treat the subject responsibly.

4. WHAT IS DEPRESSION
 How do you recognize depression?
 What do you think a depressed person may say or
do.

5. DEPRESSION CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE
 It is one of the most common psychological
problems affecting nearly everyone through either
personal experience or through depression in a
family member

6. SOCIAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL FACTORS
THAT CONTRIBUTE TO DEPRESSION
 Social
 Anything to do with society at a general level, where you
live, close relationships with family, friends, work,
colleagues etc.
 Psychological
 How you think and feel: anxieties or worries
 Physical
 Anything to do with your general physical health

7. CAUSES OF DEPRESSION
 Divide into smaller groups
 Arrange cards into the three categories of social,
Psychological and Physical
 Some cards may apply to more than one category

8. RECOGNIZING DEPRESSION
 Tony is 24 and has not completed his school.
He is worried about finding a job. He never
really liked school and he has always
messed around in lessons, not concentrating
on his work. He is worried that he will end up
in a boring job. He regrets all the fooling
around and time wasting but he doesn’t know
what he can do.
 Work in pairs to come of with a list of
symptoms Tony may be experiencing

9. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION
 Loss of interest and enjoyment in life
 Lack of drive and motivation
 Fatigue
 Tearfulness or lack of emotion
 Agitation and restlessness or apathy and lethargy
 Loss or gain in appetite or weight
 Sleeplessness or excessive sleeping
 Loss of outward affection
 Loss of confidence
 Avoidance of people
 Irritability or erratic mood swings
 Feeling useless, inadequate, hopeless, worthless
 Pre-occupation with real or imaginary aches, pains and illness
 feeling isolated, lonely, self –reproachful, guilty
 And increased use of alcohol or drugs
 Poor concentration
 Thoughts of suicide

10. DEALING WITH DEPRESSION
 Discuss: What can you do if you notice any of the
symptoms of depression in any of your friends or
family.

11. DEPRESSION THOUGHTS EXERCISE
 Each person writes on a balloon a reason they
might feel depressed

12. CARRYING THE LOAD
 Many people will tell someone who is feeling depressed
or hopeless not to worry, things will get better.
 Ask the volunteer not to worry about their load
 Many people will tell someone who is feeling depressed
or hopeless to pull themselves together
 Ask the volunteer if they can pull themselves away from the
shoe boxes
 Sometimes people will tell someone who is feeling
depressed to concentrate on their school work or throw
themselves into another activity to help them feel better
 Ask the volunteer to concentrate on something else
 Give positive ways in which you might support someone
who is feeling depressed

13. DEPRESSION FACT OR FICTION
 Depression only happens when something bad goes on
in your life, such as a divorce, the death of a loved one,
or losing your job.
 False
 If you can’t snap out of your depression, it means you’re
weak
 False
 Depression means that you have something wrong with
your character
 False
 I you wait it out, your depression will always go away
 False
 Only suicidal people need antidepressants.
 False

14. HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW
 Complete the Quiz

15.  http://youtu.be/TgiXBu_BHWU

16. SUMMARY
 Everyone can feel low at times. Low feelings can
often relate to something that has happened such
as a loss, bereavement, break-up of a relationship
or a stressful event.
 Normally we will work through our feeling about
what has happened and come to terms with it over
time. For some people the cause of their
depression may not be so obvious or the level of
their depression may seem out of proportion to the
event that appears to have triggered it.
 If we or anyone we are close to find themselves
feeling depressed or hopeless we need to think
about what we might do to help either ourselves or
others.

17. WHO TO CONTACT
 Access crisis center 24/24 450-679-8689
 Tel-aide 514-935-1101
 811
 Me