Depression
How to read the stories

Depression

Everyone can feel sad at any time in their lives, this is normal. There are things that happen, that people say or do, things that we think about that can make us all feel unhappy for a time. There are lots of words that people use for feeling this way: sad, unhappy, miserable, feeling blue, feeling down or low. Although it is normal to feel this way, sometimes people may feel sad for longer than is usual and there may be other problems that come with this low mood.

When people are sad they find it difficult to see anything positive about their lives or their future. They may lose interest in doing things or may just not have the energy. They may cry a lot but they can also feel worried, unable to relax and irritable and impatient with others. For much of the time they may just feel empty, worthless or guilty. They can lose their appetite and have difficulty in sleeping properly; though some people sleep or eat more than usual. Sometimes people may have physical symptoms such as stomach aches, bowel problems, headaches or other pains in the body and these can be related to the sadness they are feeling. Feelings of anxiety or panic are also common in people who are feeling sad.

If this sadness goes on for a long time, is quite severe and causes other problems, it becomes like an illness and doctors, psychiatrists and psychologists refer to this as ‘depression’.

Some people are more likely to become depressed. It may come out of the blue or they may be someone who has a tendency to develop episodes of this low mood time after time. Sometimes you might be able to identify something that sets off this feeling.

In severe depression, people can feel that life is meaningless and not worth living and have thoughts of wanting to harm or kill themselves.

Feelings are difficult things to describe and someone with a learning disability or communication problems may not be able to tell other people how they feel and what they are thinking. Depression, therefore, shows in different ways such as changes in behaviour, losing the ability to do things or communicate with others, problems with control of bladder or bowel motions, angry outbursts, destructiveness or self-injury and physical symptoms such as aches and pains.

How to read the stories

There is no right or wrong way to read the stories.

Some people are not used to reading stories. Start at the beginning and read the story in each picture. Encourage the reader to move through the pages at their own pace.
Encourage the person to tell the story in their own words. You will discover what they think is happening, what they already know, and how they feel. If you are using the pictures to help explain a procedure to someone, you may need to describe or clarify the actions being shown in each picture to help them understand. Try not to challenge the reader(s) or suggest their ideas are wrong.
Some pictures may be more difficult to understand. It can help to prompt the people you are supporting, for example:
•   Who do you think that is?
•   What is happening?
•   How is he or she feeling?
•   Do you feel like that? Has it happened to you/ your friend/ your family?
Allow people enough time to follow the pictures at their own pace. Allow time for discussion of each picture.
Some people may benefit from reading the larger story from which the extract has been taken. This will allow them to explore their feelings and experiences in more depth. To buy the complete book, follow the link to the bookshop that appears at the end of the story.