You have the feeling that you been a prisoner of yourself for weeks now; it seems like you have lost contact with people you used to care about, activities you enjoyed doing and even contact with yourself. Everything seems so pointless and you can't see any light at the end of the tunnel...
Everyone feels a bit down at times and may even use the phrase "I feel depressed". Fortunately this is not generally  clinical depression. However, clinical depression is not uncommon; about 8% of the men and 12% of women in the Netherlands suffer from depression annually. Luckily depression generally responds well to treatment.

How do you recognise a depression?
Depression is difficult to recognise, because the symptoms do not develop all at once, but rather gradually. Yet when you have not been yourself lately, it is important to notice whether you are experiencing symptoms of clinical depression. One or more of the following symptoms could be signs of depression:

• You no longer enjoy things you used to enjoy;
• You are tired and have little energy;
• You would prefer to stay in bed and every step you take involves great effort;
• You either oversleep or sleep poorly;
• You have little appetite or you are constantly snacking;
• You feel anxious or tensed;
• You become easily irritated for no reason;
• You are affected by mood changes and experience uncontrollable fits of crying;
• You experience a decrease in your level of interest in having sexual relations
• You find it difficult to concentrate on a book or follow a film; 
• You keep ruminating about death or about taking your own life;

Types of depression include:

• Depressive disorder
• Dysthymic disorder
• Postpartum depression
• Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) also known as winter depression
• Bipolar disorder
• Cyclothmic disorder

Treatment of  depression
i-psy offers all outpatient treatments which have been shown to help with overcoming depression. These may include sessions with a therapist, treatment with medication or a combination of both.

Further explanations on models which have been proven effective in recovering from a depression - link to IPT, Cognitive behavioral therapy.