Breakups or significant relationship issues often spark feelings of depression, which can deeply affect one’s mental health. Statistics indicate that a considerable percentage of depression diagnoses—estimated to be around 20-25%—are directly related to relationship difficulties, including divorce and breakups. 

Depression is a serious illness, compounded by the fact that many sufferers do not recognise the symptoms, often assuming that feelings of sadness will pass or masking the problem with overwork, alcohol or drugs.

Depression is often described as prolonged sadness and can creep up unexpectedly. Below is a brief introduction to some of the symptoms and sources of help. If you are feeling low and suspect you might be depressed, it is essential to visit your GP.

Symptoms

The end of a relationship or a bereavement often triggers a range of emotions, including sadness, anxiety, stress, and uncertainty about the future. But how do you recognize the real onset of depression? The following checklist includes possible symptoms:

Psychological symptoms may include:

• A persistent feeling of sadness or feeling low
• Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness
• Feeling there is no future or way out of your current situation or mood
• Insomnia or disturbed sleep patterns
• Tearfulness
• Low tolerance and irritability
• Low self-esteem
• Anxiety
• Obsessive thoughts about death, suicide, or harming yourself or others
• Confusion and memory lapses
• A reliance on drugs or alcohol to ‘lift’ your mood or block or numb any feelings
• Poor motivation and indecisiveness
• Social withdrawal, reduced contact with family and friends

Physical symptoms might include:

• Headaches
• Lack of energy and lethargy
• Slowed movement and speech
• Constipation
• Loss of appetite or excessive bingeing, sudden weight gain or loss
• Reduced sex drive

Getting Help

If you think you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, it is crucial to seek help from your GP, who can refer you for counselling or prescribe antidepressants. Antidepressants work by balancing certain chemicals in the brain that affect mood. Your dosage should be carefully monitored, and any medication should be given in conjunction with counselling – antidepressants are usually a temporary measure to help you reach a point where you can cope.

For further information on depression and related illnesses, visit NHS Direct and see our helplines section.