Frequently Asked Questions

CBT can help you to change how you think ("Cognitive") and what you do ("Behaviour)". These changes can help you to feel better. Unlike some of the other talking treatments, it focuses on the "here and now" problems and difficulties. Instead of focussing on the causes of your distress or symptoms in the past, it looks for ways to improve your state of mind now.

Who becomes depressed?

Research suggests that anyone can become depressed. It is estimated that approximately one person in six will experience some type of depression in the course of their lifetime and that 1 in 20 will experience "clinical depression". At any one time, about one in 10 people will have some symptoms of depression.

These estimates are based upon those individuals that sought help from their GPs (family doctors) so it is probable that the numbers of people experiencing low mood or "sub-clinical" depression may be much higher.

Depression may affect anybody regardless of their background, age or culture. In many Western countries women are more likely then men to be diagnosed with depression, but this is partly because men are less likely to report their depression and seek help.

How is depression diagnosed?

When deciding whether to give someone a diagnosis of depression, mental health professionals look for the following key symptoms:

A diagnosis of depression should be given if you experience at least five of these symptoms over a two-week period. Even if the depression seems mild it is still important, and can have a big impact on someone's life and ability to enjoy life.

We also need to understand that there are differences in the way people describe their feelings. For example, some people use words such as 'sad' or 'low' to describe feeling depressed, whereas other people describe their feelings in terms of their body, such as 'a pain in my heart'.

Seeking Professional Help

The Thinkwell Programme aims to help individuals experiencing persistent low mood or mild depression, cognitive behavioural therapy is able to help individuals experiencing moderate to severe depression but it does so best in combination with the use of appropriate medication.

If you feel that the feelings of low mood you are experiencing lead you to suspect you are experiencing clinical depression or if have any thoughts about harming yourself or other people we strongly suggest that you seek a professional opinion from a qualified mental health professional this can be arranged by seeing your GP and explaining to him or her how you feel.