Stress can lead to you feeling down and miserable.

What is different about a depressive illness is that these feelings last for weeks or months, rather than days. In addition to feeling low most or all of the time, many other symptoms can occur in depressive illness (though not everybody has every one).

These include:

* being unable to gain pleasure from activities that normally would be pleasurable.

* losing interest in normal activities, hobbies and everyday life.

* feeling tired all of the time and having no energy.

* difficulty sleeping or waking early in the morning (though some feel that they can't get out of bed and 'face the world').

* having a poor appetite, no interest in food and losing weight (though some people overeat and put on weight - 'comfort eating').

* losing interest in sex.

* finding it difficult to concentrate and think straight.

* feeling restless, tense and anxious.

* being irritable.

* losing self-confidence.

* avoiding other people.

* finding it harder than usual to make decisions.

* feeling useless and inadequate - 'a waste of space'.

* feeling guilty about who you are and what you have done.

* feeling hopeless - that nothing will make things better.

* thinking about suicide - this is very common. If you feel this way, talk to somebody about it.

If you think somebody else might be thinking this way, ask them about it -

IT WILL NOT MAKE THEM MORE LIKELY TO COMMIT SUICIDE.

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.

Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.

Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,

other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed

that during the low periods of my life,

when I was suffering from

anguish, sorrow or defeat,

I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord,

"You promised me Lord,

that if I followed you,

you would walk with me always.

But I have noticed that during

the most trying periods of my life

there have only been one

set of footprints in the sand.

Why, when I needed you most,

you have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied,

"The times when you have

seen only one set of footprints in the sand,

is when I carried you."

Mary Stevenson