Depression is a low mood that can last a long time or keep returning, affecting your everyday life. Depression is a common mental disorder. Globally, it is estimated that 5% of adults suffer from the disorder. It is characterized by persistent sadness and a lack of interest or pleasure in previously rewarding or enjoyable activities. It can also disturb sleep and appetite. Tiredness and poor concentration are common. Depression is a leading cause of disability around the world and contributes greatly to the global burden of disease. The effects of depression can be long-lasting or recurrent and can dramatically affect a person’s ability to function and live a rewarding life. The causes of depression include complex interactions between social, psychological and biological factors. Life events such as childhood adversity, loss and unemployment contribute to and may catalyse the development of depression. Treatment. Talking therapy can help you explore your thoughts, feelings and behaviour to bring about positive changes to your life. Therapy can also help you develop healthy coping skills. GP intervention is also an option as medication may also be needed depending on the type and severity of the depression alongside talking therapy.

Anxiety is usually a natural response to pressure, feeling afraid or threatened, which can show up in how we feel physically, mentally, and in how we behave. It’s common to describe anxiety as a feeling of dread, fear or unease, which can range from mild to severe. Anxiety can become a problem if we start worrying a lot about small stuff or relatively harmless situations. It’s usually when our anxiety feels really intense or overwhelming that it starts to interfere with our daily life or affect our relationships. Anxiety can affect our mind, body and behaviour, for instance we might feel tearful, get stress headaches, or start avoiding things or people that trigger anxiety. Common symptoms of anxiety include: *Feeling tired, restless or irritable. *Feeling shaky or trembly, dizzy or sweating more. *Being unable to concentrate or make decisions. *Trouble sleeping *Worrying about the past or future, or thinking something bad will happen. *Headaches, tummy aches or muscle pain. *Dry mouth, pins and needles. *Noticing your heartbeat gets stronger, faster or irregular, or you get short of breath when you start feeling anxious. Treatment. Talking therapy can help explore a person’s thoughts, feelings and behaviour, find ways to cope with difficult situations and provide techniques to help you manage and even alleviate your symptoms. In addition to therapy GP intervention is also an option as medication may also be needed depending on the type and severity of the anxiety.

Why are Relationships important Positive relationships can have an impact on our mental health and wellbeing, research shows that having healthy relationships can help reduce feelings of anxiety low mood and improve self-esteem as well as have a positive effect on our immune system. The relationships we have with others will depend on an individuals lived experience. Events in our childhood can play out in our adulthood relationships or affect the relationship you have with yourself. Healthy relationship, however, can break down if an individual experiences a life event such as a trauma which could change the way you see others and even themselves. Some individuals find it hard to trust people or themselves and as a result struggle to maintain As a result a person may find social situations stressful or avoid social occasions all together; this can not only impact on a person’s mental health but also develop or ignite confidence and self-esteem issues. Therapy can help explore unhelpful relationships with family and friends. The process can help you look at the different types of relationships you have and look at ways to change and improve them. Therapy can also help an individual look at the relationship they have with themselves, especially if they find they are at a crossroads in their life and no longer know who they are or what they want which is having an impact on current relationships. Treatment Therapy can help an individual explore their thoughts, feelings and behaviour around relationships. Look at building better ways to communicate with people, which could help with personal and professional relationships. Build and develop healthy boundaries in relationships as well as set goals for the further

Self-harm is when somebody intentionally damages or injures their body. Some of the reasons that people may self-harm include: *Expressing or coping with emotional distress. *Trying to feel in control *A way of punishing themselves. *Relieving unbearable tension. *A cry for help *A response to intrusive thoughts. Self-harm may be linked to bad experiences that are happening now, or in the past. But sometimes the reason is unknown. The reasons can also change over time and will not be the same for everybody. Common causes of emotional distress Self-harm is most often described as a way to express or cope with emotional distress. There are many possible causes of emotional distress. It's often a build-up of many smaller things that leads people to think about self-harm. Some examples include: *Being bullied. *Pressure at school or work. *Family arguments or relationship problems. *Money worries. *Low self-esteem *Struggling with stress, anxiety or depression. *Confusion about sexuality. *Grief after bereavement or loss. *Physical or sexual abuse *Being in contact with the criminal justice system. *Experiencing complex mental health difficulties that sometimes cause impulsive behaviour or difficulty controlling emotions, often due to past trauma. Self-harm and suicide There is evidence of a clear link between suicide or suicidal thoughts and people who have previously self-harmed. However, not everyone who self-harms wants to end their life. Some people describe their self-harm as a way of staying alive by responding to or coping with severe emotional distress. It's important to find the right support or treatment to help deal with the underlying cause in a less harmful way.

What is trauma? Going through very stressful, frightening or distressing events is sometimes called trauma. When we talk about emotional or psychological trauma, we might mean:  situations or events we find traumatic  how we're affected by our experiences. Traumatic events can happen at any age and can cause long-lasting harm. Everyone has a different reaction to trauma, so you might notice any effects quickly, or a long time afterwards. Going through further trauma can also cause you to start being affected by past experiences, or make existing problems worse. It’s ok to ask for help at any time – including if you're not sure if you've experienced trauma. Talking therapy can help you explore your thoughts, feelings and behaviour to bring about positive changes to your life. Therapy can also help you develop healthy coping skills. You may find clarity and closure to your traumatic experince.

What Is Self-Esteem? Self-esteem describes your thoughts and feelings about yourself. It is usually based on judgments you make about yourself in the moment. People with low-self esteem are less self-confident and have more negative thoughts and feelings about themselves. Low self-esteem can be situational or chronic, with chronic low self-esteem being more likely to cause emotional and behavioral problems. Because self-esteem involves your thoughts and feelings about yourself and your level of confidence, it isn’t stable or consistent. Instead, it depends heavily on the outer world of people, tasks, and external information used to compare, judge, and evaluate yourself. Self-evaluations that determine your self-esteem are largely based on: What personal strengths and weaknesses you are most focused on Positive and negative feedback you get from others Your general mood, stress level, and emotional states Comparisons you make between yourself and others Whether or not you reach a goal or expectation How you make sense of yourself and your experiences What Is Self-Worth? Researchers describe self-worth as a broader, more stable form of self-esteem that is less influenced by outside or inside factors. Instead of focusing on specific traits, skills, circumstances, or achievements, self-worth describes the core beliefs you have about your worth and value. Core beliefs tend to be consistent over time, which is why self-worth is less likely to change in response to feelings, thoughts, behaviors, or experiences. A person with high self-worth is believed to have a more stable and positive form of self-esteem. It provides protection against stress and emotional problems, while also making a person healthier, happier, and more successful in life. If you have high self-worth, you are more likely to: Believe you are good, worthy, and lovable, regardless of what’s happening in your life Feel deserving of love and respect from other people Accept and love yourself as you are now, with no conditions or exceptions Practice self-compassion and treat yourself with care, kindness, and respect Believe in your potential to grow, learn, change, and improve Have flaws and make mistakes that don’t threaten your identity or worth. Treaments. Try talking therapy. Talking therapies can help with building self-esteem. They can also help you find ways to cope with experiences that affect how you feel about yourself.