We all feel a little down sometimes; we all occasionally feel sad. When the feeling of being "blue" turns to "black" and we cannot lift it, we call it depression. Depression is a state of mind where the unconscious cannot envisage a positive future.

Depression may arise in response to some event (reactive) or may be non-specific. It may be acute and therefore short lived, or chronic and feels everlasting.

There is a solution; but first we have to look at what causes depression. Some causes are easy to identify such as illness and pain. It may even be the illness or pain of other people that are close to us. It may be the death of someone close. A frequent cause is long-term stress. For example, job insecurity or financial problems, which seem to go on for a long time. Problems in a marriage or the loneliness of not having a partner are also frequent causes.

These causes are easily recognized but there are powerful factors that can cause depression that cannot be so easily identified. Problems during childhood or adolescence can cause serious issues in later life.

The underlying cause of depression must be identified; this often resolves the issue. The task of rebuilding must then be undertaken slowly and carefully. Recovery can be fragile, it is important to achieve successes and to build on them. As with all issues presented to the Clinic, the aim is to completely restore clients to their real selves.