![A garden under a low grey sky, with one bench where the first light is reaching](https://viacara.com/img/content/depression-feature-light.webp) # Low Mood and Depression Low mood that lasts two weeks or more can be a sign of depression. It is common and treatable. Find a professional who works with low mood. Everyone has days when their mood drops. When the low mood lasts two weeks or more, the NHS says it could be a sign of depression. Depression is common, and it responds to treatment. More than one adult in five in England has a common mental health condition. The national survey counts working-age adults. Sources: [NHS: low mood](https://viacara.com/support/depression/#ref-1), [NHS England: morbidity survey 2023](https://viacara.com/support/depression/#ref-4) ## Low mood or *depression*? A low mood often lifts after a few days or weeks, and small changes can help it along. Depression is different because it stays. The NHS describes feeling persistently sad for weeks or months rather than a few days. It rarely looks like sadness alone. Many people describe feeling flat or empty. Things they used to enjoy stop meaning much, and nothing feels worth the effort. It shows up in the body too. Sleep changes, appetite changes, constant tiredness and aches with no clear cause are all part of it. Sources: [NHS: low mood](https://viacara.com/support/depression/#ref-1), [NHS: depression overview](https://viacara.com/support/depression/#ref-2) ## When to seek *help* You do not need to be certain it is depression before you talk to someone. You might find it helpful to reach out if you notice: - Low mood that has lasted two weeks or more - Losing interest or pleasure in most things - Sleep, appetite or energy that has changed and stayed changed - Feeling hopeless, worthless or guilty most days - Struggling to concentrate or make small decisions - Pulling away from people, or from things you used to do The NHS advises seeing a GP if you think you may be depressed, and not waiting. A GP can rule out physical causes and talk through options, including medication if that suits you. Therapy and a GP are not rivals. Many people use both. We do not assess anyone and we do not diagnose anyone. What we do is help you find a professional who works with what you have described. Source: [NHS: depression overview](https://viacara.com/support/depression/#ref-2) ![The same garden bench in early morning, with the sky beginning to clear](https://viacara.com/img/content/depression-mid-light.webp) Depression is common, and it responds to treatment ## How talking therapy helps NICE publishes a full guideline on treating depression in adults, and it lists talking therapies among the first-line treatments. For less severe depression it lists several, and it says the choice should follow what the person prefers. We built ViaCara on the same idea. The options NICE names include [cognitive behavioural therapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/cbt/), [behavioural activation](https://viacara.com/approaches/behavioural-therapy/), counselling, interpersonal therapy and [short-term psychodynamic therapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/psychodynamic/). For more severe depression it recommends a talking therapy, medication, or both together. The names matter less than the fit. A professional who works with depression helps you see what keeps the low mood in place, and what loosens it. Sessions are usually weekly, and the first one is for finding out whether this is the right person. You can compare what happens in sessions through these diagrams: - [CBT](https://viacara.com/approaches/cbt/#cbt-connections) explores links between thoughts, feelings and actions. - [Interpersonal therapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/interpersonal-therapy/#interpersonal-therapy-session-map) focuses on a current difficulty in your relationships. - [Psychodynamic therapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/psychodynamic/#psychodynamic-work-map) explores recurring patterns and their links with earlier experience. They describe ways of working, not a ranking of what will help you most. Source: [NICE NG222](https://viacara.com/support/depression/#ref-3) ## Depression alongside *other* things Depression rarely arrives alone. Anxiety and depression sit together so often that the national survey has a category for the mix. If worry is a large part of your picture, our [anxiety page](https://viacara.com/support/anxiety/) covers it. If the flatness followed a loss, [grief](https://viacara.com/support/grief/) may be the better start. If it followed months of overwork, the line between burnout and depression is harder to draw than most people expect. Our [burnout or depression page](https://viacara.com/support/burnout/burnout-or-depression/) holds that disagreement open. If you are autistic or have ADHD, it helps to say so early. A professional who understands that will plan differently, and our [autistic burnout page](https://viacara.com/support/burnout/autistic-burnout/) explains why. Source: [NHS England: morbidity survey 2023](https://viacara.com/support/depression/#ref-4) ## Who to *look* for Both therapists and counsellors work with depression. Which one suits you depends on how heavy it feels and how you want to work. If medication is part of your plan, that stays with your GP, and a good professional will work alongside it. ## If you are struggling to stay *safe* Severe depression can include thoughts of self-harm or suicide. If that is where you are tonight, finding a professional is not the first step. Our [crisis page](https://viacara.com/crisis/) lists people you can talk to right now, at any hour. Source: [NHS: depression overview](https://viacara.com/support/depression/#ref-2) Thanks for your interest. We're not taking on new clients at the moment. ## Ready to find support for low mood? We ask what matters to you, then find professionals who fit. Leave your email and we'll let you know as soon as we're ready for you. This conversation helps us find you the right support. What you share helps us understand what you're looking for and find someone who fits. Your email keeps you updated on what's happening next and isn't shared with anyone we introduce you to. [Privacy policy](https://viacara.com/privacy) [Terms of service](https://viacara.com/terms) ## References 1. National Health Service (2026). *Get help with low mood, sadness or depression*. [Link](https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/feelings-and-symptoms/low-mood-sadness-depression/) 2. National Health Service (2023). *Depression in adults: overview*. [Link](https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/depression-in-adults/overview/) 3. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2022). *Depression in adults: treatment and management (NG222)*. [Link](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng222) 4. NHS England (2025). *Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey: Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, England, 2023/4*. [Link](https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/adult-psychiatric-morbidity-survey/survey-of-mental-health-and-wellbeing-england-2023-24) ## Related ### [Burnout or Depression](https://viacara.com/support/burnout/burnout-or-depression/) Is this burnout or depression? The workplace research says the line is fragile. The autistic burnout research says the difference matters. ### [Understanding Anxiety](https://viacara.com/support/anxiety/) Learn about anxiety, its symptoms and how therapy can help. Find the right practitioner for anxiety support. ### [Grief Counselling](https://viacara.com/support/grief/) Grief has no timeline. Find a counsellor who can sit with you while you find your way through loss, in your own time and on your own terms. ### [Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)](https://viacara.com/approaches/cbt/) Learn how CBT works, what happens in sessions and what NICE says about it, and read about its forms for sleep, pain and self-help. ### [Finding the Right Practitioner](https://viacara.com/guides/finding-a-practitioner/) A practical guide to finding a mental health practitioner who fits your needs, preferences and budget. ### [Mental Health Support for Veterans](https://viacara.com/support/veterans/) Free NHS mental health help for veterans, reservists and their families, with the route in each UK nation. Most let you get in touch yourself. ### [Misinformation and News Overwhelm](https://viacara.com/support/life-online/misinformation/) Bad news on repeat, and not knowing what to believe, can be exhausting. Why it happens, how to check what you see and where support fits. ### [Climate Anxiety](https://viacara.com/support/climate-anxiety/) Climate anxiety is an understandable response to a real threat, not a condition. Find a professional who helps you carry it without it running your life. ### [Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)](https://viacara.com/approaches/interpersonal-therapy/) Learn how interpersonal therapy links your mood to your relationships and life changes, what a course involves and what NICE and the research say. ### [Psychodynamic Therapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/psychodynamic/) Learn how psychodynamic therapy works, what to expect in sessions and how exploring your past can change your present. ### [Ecotherapy and Nature-Based Therapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/ecotherapy/) How therapy outdoors works, what walking, horses and dogs add to a session, and what the UK evidence on nature-based support really shows. ### [Low Self-Esteem](https://viacara.com/support/self-esteem/) Low self-esteem is a learned opinion of yourself, and it can change. Find a professional who helps you see yourself more fairly. ### [Sleep Problems and Insomnia](https://viacara.com/support/sleep/) Insomnia is thought to affect around 1 in 3 people in the UK. Find a professional who works with sleep and with what keeps you awake. ### [Anger](https://viacara.com/support/anger/) Anger is a normal feeling. When it comes too fast, too often or too hard, it can be worked on. Find a professional who helps you understand it.