ABSTRACT

This chapter focuses upon the personal experience of individuals who are struggling to cope when mood states become depressed. It explores this from a lived and felt context and what having depression means to different people. The three sections within the chapter will cover the lived experience of depression, the experience of diagnosis and care and the conceptual meaning of one’s total experience including recovery. Manifestations of depressive mood states are manifold, and likewise the causes of depression are hugely variable. Whilst addressing a significant range of issues, it is not possible within the space available in this chapter to cover all manifestations or experiences connected with depression. In addition, there is also substantial overlap with other health states and aspects such as psychotic experience and anxiety which are covered in greater depth in other chapters.