Pb 247.09 Coping With The Flu Outbreak Depression
COPING WITH THE
FLU OUTBREAK
DEPRESSION
Written by Joanne Ryder, 2009
COPING WITH THE FLU OUTBREAK
INTRODUCTION
This leafl et is one of a series about pandemic fl u and
mental health. The leafl ets contain information about how
the fl u outbreak might affect your mental health, how to look
after yourself, what to do if a problem persists, and where
to fi nd further information.
Pandemic fl u is a type of infl uenza that occurs every few
decades and which spreads rapidly to affect most countries
and regions around the world. Its key features are:
•
It affects the whole world, not just one area.
•
It can occur at any time rather than being concentrated
in winter time.
•
It may affect two or three times as many people as
ordinary fl u – perhaps around one quarter of the
population.
•
It is likely to be more severe, and hence causes more
serious illnesses and deaths.
•
It may affect any age group rather than being a threat
mainly to the very old and the very young.
Whilst all of us are familiar with a degree of adversity in
life, the fl u outbreak and its consequences is a particularly
diffi cult and stressful experience for everyone, and some
people may have to cope with being unwell, looking after
family members or dealing with loss and bereavement.
Coming to terms with the consequences that the fl u has
had for you and those close to you can take some time.
2 Coping with the fl u outbreak | Depression
DEPRESSION
This leafl et focuses on coping with depression; others cover
bereavement, fatigue, recovering from trauma, and coping
with worry and uncertainty.
What is depression?
You might experience times when you feel upset or low in
mood. Such feelings are understandable when you have
to deal with a lot of things at once. These feelings are part
of a normal reaction to loss or stressful events and should
resolve in time. The ability to deal with these feelings is
often made easier by talking to someone close to you about
how you are feeling.
However, for some, low mood can become more severe
and diffi cult to shake off. When low mood persists in
this way, it is referred to as ‘clinical depression’. Clinical
depression (or simply depression) is a common problem,
it is estimated that as many as one in six will experience
depression at some point in their lives. Below are some of
the common signs and symptoms you may experience if
you are depressed:
Emotions or feelings
•
Feeling sad, numb, guilty, upset, despairing or angry
•
Crying a lot, or feeling unable to cry
•
Anxiety and fear
•
Loss of interest and enjoyment
•
Feeling alone, isolated and withdrawn
Coping with the fl u outbreak | Depression 3
COPING WITH THE FLU OUTBREAK
Physical and bodily signs
•
Tiredness or exhaustion
•
Restlessness
•
Changes in sleep – waking early or interrupted sleep
•
Changes to appetite, eating and weight
•
Poor memory and concentration
•
Worsening of chronic conditions
Thoughts
•
Having upsetting and gloomy thoughts, generally
expecting the worst
•
Thinking that everything is hopeless
•
Losing confi dence in yourself
•
Diffi culty in making decisions
•
Thoughts of death and suicide
Changes in behaviour
•
Finding it diffi cult to be with people
•
Reduced activities
•
Self neglect
Some of these symptoms, such as feeling tired, or changes
to sleep and appetite, may be similar to those caused by
the fl u or side effects of treatment. If you are able to talk
through your feelings with a medical professional, they can
help decide whether it is your physical illness or depression
that is making you feel as you do.
4 Coping with the fl u outbreak | Depression
DEPRESSION
People’s experience of depression varies, and with it
the extent to which they experience it. Not everyone
experiences all these symptoms or with the same severity.
The length of time people experience depression also tends
to vary, although most people feel better again within four
to six months.
What causes depression?
Depression can be triggered by a range of things, including
biological and psychological factors. For example,
someone may be born with an inherited tendency to
depression, but they may not actually become depressed
until they experience some kind of upsetting event. The fl u
pandemic, and the diffi culties and stresses that go with it,
is likely to provide a variety of triggers for depression. For
example, bereavement, physical illness, a change in roles
and responsibilities, worry and uncertainty could all trigger
depression.
You are more likely to experience depression when you are
physically unwell if:
•
you have been depressed before
•
you do not have family or friends you can talk to about
your illness
•
you have other problems or stresses going on in your
life
•
you are in considerable pain
•
your illness prevents you from looking after yourself.
Coping with the fl u outbreak | Depression 5
COPING WITH THE FLU OUTBREAK
How can you make yourself feel better?
Talk to others, tell others how you are feeling
Help yourself through activity
You may fi nd yourself becoming less active, or avoid
certain activities, possibly because you feel tired and do
not have the energy and motivation to do things you used
to do. One way to overcome depression is by increasing
and/or modifying your daily activity, so that you increase
things which you enjoy or which make you feel worthwhile.
You can start by keeping a daily record of exactly how you
are spending your time. Rate each activity from 0 to 10
according to how much pleasure or sense of achievement
you get from it. After a period of at least a week, look back
to pinpoint the activities that you enjoyed, and those that
gave you a greater sense of achievement. You should
then begin to plan more activities that give you a sense of
pleasure and achievement.
Identify and evaluate negative thoughts
Negative thoughts are central to what keeps you
depressed. Some people fi nd distraction useful, so when
a negative thought pops into your head, distract yourself
from the thought by doing something that keeps your mind
busy. Distraction is often used as a short-term coping
strategy. In the long-term, you need to fi nd other ways of
managing your negative thoughts. One way to do this is
to test the validity of your negative thoughts by examining
6 Coping with the fl u outbreak | Depression
DEPRESSION
all the evidence that supports or does not support each of
your thoughts. Then taking into account this evidence will
allow you to develop a more balanced alternative. It may
be helpful to ask yourself how would you have viewed this
situation before you became ill, or what might someone
else think in this situation?
Problem solving
Problem solving is a useful way of tackling practical
problems. Identify the problem you want to work on, and
then think of as many solutions as possible. Choose the
one that seems to be the best, and then work on putting
this into action. Once you start, you will need to review your
progress and possibly modify the solution.
Look after yourself
Resist the temptation to cope with your depression by using
alcohol or other substances. In the short-term this may give
you some relief, but in the long-term this can lead to other
health and psychological diffi culties. Having a good diet can
help to keep you in good health and can aid recovery.
When should you seek professional help?
If your feelings of depression:
•
don’t seem to be getting better with time
•
begin to affect your feelings towards family and friends,
your work and your interests
Coping with the fl u outbreak | Depression 7
COPING WITH THE FLU OUTBREAK
•
If you feel that life is not worth living, or that other
people would be better off without you.
If you are worried by any of the above, then see your GP.
KEY POINTS
•
Feeling low in mood is common, particularly
in circumstances such as those relating to a
fl u pandemic. Such feelings usually resolve
themselves within a few days, and do not need
treatment.
•
Feeling low in mood becomes a problem when
it is more severe, longstanding and starts to
affect your daily life, or you experience suicidal
thoughts. If this is the case, you should seek
professional help.
•
There are a number of things you can do to
help yourself overcome depression. These
include increasing your activity, identifying and
evaluating negative thoughts, and problem
solving.
•
Talk to someone you trust about how you are
feeling, and remember to look after yourself.
8 Coping with the fl u outbreak | Depression
DEPRESSION
Further reading
•
Manage your Mind (2007) by Gillian Butler and Tony
Hope, published by Oxford University Press.
•
Overcoming Depression (1997) by Paul Gilbert,
published by Robinson.
•
Mind Over Mood (1995) by Dennis Greenberger and
Christine Padesky, published by Guilford Press.
•
Managing Depression (2005) by David Westbrook,
available from www.octc.co.uk
Internet & other sources of information
About depression
•
www.depressionalliance.org – provides information for
people affected by depression.
•
www.livinglifetothefull.com – an online self help course,
using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help with
feelings of low mood, stress and distress.
•
www.samaritans.org – offers support to people who are
despairing or suicidal.
•
www.mind.org.uk – provides information on all aspects
of mental health.
•
www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk – a 24-hour advice service run by
the NHS.
Coping with the fl u outbreak | Depression 9
COPING WITH THE FLU OUTBREAK
About the fl u
•
Go to www.dh.gov.uk/pandemicfl u and/or www.
nhsdirect.nhs.uk
•
Call NHS Direct on 0845 4647
•
Pick up leafl ets from doctor’s surgeries and other
places.
10 Coping with the fl u outbreak | Depression
DEPRESSION
Coping with the fl u outbreak | Depression 11
Other leafl ets in this series:
• Bereavement (PB 246.09)
• Fatigue (PB 248.09)
• Recovering from Trauma (PB 249.09)
• Worry and Uncertainty (PB 250.09)
This and the other leafl ets in this series can be found
on the Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust’s website:
www.oxfordshirepct.nhs.uk
If you need the information in another language or format, please contact us:
Nëse ky informacion ju nevojitet në një gjuhë apo format tjetër, ju lutem na kontaktoni:
Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust,
Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
Freephone: 0800 052 6088
www.oxfordshirepct.nhs.uk
PB 247.09
May 2009
