This post is your quick guide to how a depression takes hold. My contention is that it applies to the large majority of depression sufferers. Am I right? What is your experience? I would love to hear from you.

One: Some part of your life is not working

Let’s not concern ourselves with the reason why but just acknowledge that your life is not working properly. Your emotional needs are not being well met.  The life you are leading is not providing you with what you need.  Just look at my Needs Pagoda and note where the gap or gaps are – around safely, control, relationships work or meaning?

Am I right? Yes I am for sure.

Two: Worry takes over from doing

And so you are worrying about that but the problems are not being sorted out. So you find that you are ruminating a little bit more and as you do, you find that the scope of your worrying is expanding. Now it is covering more and more and as it does, your thinking is becoming more snd more black and white and frankly speaking more unhelpful by the dsy.

Three: Tiredness and a self feeding vicious circle is evolving – feeding fear, dread, shame, terror and anger

The tiredness can become overwhelming – exhaustion is a better description. Or it can be particularly noticeable in the mornings. And maybe also your concentration is not what is was. Yes it is all unravelling

Four: Emotions become out of control and you react against that by an urgent willingness to try anything

So what can you do about it?  You try anything –reading books, following on line forums, taking the advice of anybody who is willing to give and back to your GP. But nothing works. And so panic really sets in, and then resignation and then perhaps suicidal despair.

I have put this all into my Depression Vicious Cycle