Understanding Depression - And the many ways it can appear in our lives

Depression is a common human experience.

Statistics suggest that around 43% of people will experience an episode of depression at some point in their lives, and in any given year, approximately one million Australians are living with depression.

Despite how common it is, depression is still widely misunderstood.

One of the reasons for this is that depression is not a single experience. It can arise for many different reasons, and understanding the difference can help us respond to it with greater compassion and clarity.

Different Experiences of Depression

Biochemical Depression

Sometimes depression has a strong biological component. In these cases, brain neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, or noradrenaline may be out of balance.

Medical support can be essential in these situations, and many people benefit from working with their doctor to find the right treatment plan. This may include medication, lifestyle changes, nutritional support, or integrative therapies.

Life Event Depression

Depression can also arise following difficult life events such as:

• the loss of a loved one

• job loss or financial stress

• relationship breakdown

• illness or injury

• major life changes.

These experiences can overwhelm our emotional resources.

While time and support often help people move through this form of depression, many find it valuable to work with therapies that assist emotional processing.

Over the years I have seen excellent results from approaches such as:

• Flower Essences

• Empowered Tapping®

• Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)

• Matrix Reimprinting

• NLP

• Kinesiology

• Reiki

• Counselling and emotional healing work.

These approaches can help people process the emotional weight of what they have experienced.

Situational or Exhaustion-Based Depression

There is also a form of depression that arises when a person has simply reached their limits.

When someone has been pushing, striving, or coping for a long time without resolution, the mind and body may eventually say:

"I’ve had enough. I need to stop."

In this sense, depression can function as a signal from the body that rest, reflection, and recovery are needed.

When we listen to that signal, take time to restore ourselves, and reassess our lives, the depressive state often begins to lift.

When we ignore it and continue pushing forward, the depression can deepen.

Melancholic Personality

Some people also have a naturally more reflective or melancholic temperament. They may tend to see life through a more serious or cautious lens.

This does not necessarily mean something is “wrong”. It may simply be part of their personality.

However, supportive remedies and emotional work can still help bring greater balance, hope, and perspective.

How Depression Often Feels

Over the years I have described depression to clients as a combination of emotional experiences such as:

• discouragement

• sadness

• anger

• loneliness

• lack of direction

• exhaustion

• emotional pain

• despair

• doubt

• frustration

• insecurity

• overwhelm

• guilt

• grief

• loss

• isolation

• a loss of purpose.

For many people, depression is not just one emotion. It is a constellation of many feelings at once.

Can Depression Have a Purpose?

This might sound surprising, but in some situations depression can serve a purpose.

It can be the body’s way of saying:

"You have reached your limits."

Depression slows us down. It pulls us away from the noise of life and asks us to pause.

When we allow ourselves to rest, reflect, and receive support, it can sometimes become a turning point toward greater clarity and self-understanding.

Flower Essences That Can Support Emotional Healing

Over the past 32 years of clinical work, I have used flower essences with many clients experiencing depression. When selected appropriately, they can support emotional balance and resilience.

Some examples include:

Gorse
For the feeling of “What’s the use?” when hope feels lost.

Mustard
For depression that comes and goes without an obvious reason — the feeling of a dark cloud descending and lifting again.

Gentian
For people who tend toward discouragement or pessimism when life presents challenges.

Sweet Chestnut
For moments when someone feels they have reached the absolute limit of what they can endure.

Wild Oat
For the kind of depression that comes from lacking a clear sense of direction or purpose in life.

Scotchbroom
For those who feel overwhelmed by world events or powerless in the face of large social problems.

Borage
For heaviness of heart and emotional exhaustion.

Bleeding Heart
For deep emotional pain after losing someone we love.

Hackberry
For unresolved grief that has been postponed or suppressed.

Wolfberry
For when grief feels too painful to face directly and needs gentle support to be processed.

Flower essences work by helping restore emotional balance and encouraging positive transformation.

A Final Thought

Depression can feel all-consuming when we are in it. It can make the path forward difficult to see.

But there is always a way through.

The most important step is reaching out for support — whether that is through a doctor, therapist, counsellor, or practitioner you trust.

You do not have to navigate it alone.

Have you experienced depression and found a way through it?
What helped you the most?