Depression 

Depression has long been framed as a disorder- a chemical imbalance in your brain. But what if it’s not a malfunction, but a response?
 

In Lost Connections, Johann Hari flips the lens on depression. While genes and biology can play a role in developing chronic depression, he argues they’re not the full story. He identifies nine causes that go beyond brain chemistry — each linked to our deep human need for connection: 
 

1. Disconnection from meaningful work

2. Disconnection from other people

3. Disconnection from meaningful values

4. Disconnection from childhood safety and support

5. Disconnection from status and respect

6. Disconnection from nature

7. Disconnection from hope and a secure future

8. Real brain changes from trauma or stress

9. Biological vulnerability, which still responds to the world around us
    

Too often, depression gets mislabelled as a purely internal disorder; something wrong within the person. But many, including us at WellBe, argue that it’s more often a normal response to abnormal conditions- things like long term stress, racism, homophobia, isolation, poverty, trauma, and other distressing human experiences. In other words, depression is often a sign of unmet needs.
 

It can look like:

• Feeling flat, numb, or stuck in sadness

• Losing interest in things you used to care about

• Struggling to get out of bed, or dragging yourself through the day

• Going through the motions while masking how you really feel

• Spirals of shame, self-criticism, or hopelessness

• Changes in sleep, appetite, or concentration

• In more severe cases, thoughts of self-harm or suicide
   

Depression doesn’t look the same for everyone. Women, men, LGBTQ+ people, people of colour, teenagers, older adults- we’re all affected differently. Social roles, stigma, and expectations shape how symptoms show up and whether we feel safe to talk about them.
 

What Can Cause It?

There’s rarely one single cause. Depression is layered. Personal. Often invisible.
It might be sparked by something recent, or it might have been building for years.

Common causes include:

• Grief or loss

• Long-term stress, burnout, or work that drains you

• Loneliness or feeling disconnected from people who matter

• Childhood trauma, adversity, or neglect

• Chronic illness or pain

• Low self-worth, shame, or feeling lost

• Hormonal shifts (like postnatal depression)

• Seasonal changes (like SAD – Seasonal Affective Disorder)

• Genetics and brain chemistry – yes, but they don’t write the whole script

 

Sometimes there’s no clear cause at all — just a deep sense that something’s missing, or something hurts. And that’s still valid. Whatever it is, we can help. 

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Need Urgent Help Right Now?

If things feel urgent and it's out of hours, support is available 24/7:

• Samaritans: 116 123

• Open Mental Health Somerset: 01823 276 892

• NHS Urgent Mental Health Helpline: Call 111, then press option 2

• If you or someone is at risk of serious harm, call 999

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Want to Talk?

We get it. Depression can be difficult to live with without feeling supported. But it’s also something we see lift all the time, with the right support. Therapy isn’t about fixing you. It’s about finding what got lost, what got wounded, and what still feels possible.
 

• £70 for individual therapy (trauma informed) 

• £80 trauma specialist therapy online and in-person

• £120 per session for couples

• £30 per session with a student counsellor (Ideal for moderate mental health needs, transitions, or feeling stuck. Student counsellors are in their final training stage and work under close supervision.)