Depression can affect anyone, at any stage of their lives. For some people it can go away without any treatment but 1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men shall have depression at some stage of their lives serious enough to require treatment.

Depression can be triggered by all kind of events including bereavement, unemployment, redundancy, health problems and the severity can also differ from individual to individual.

The main symptoms can vary from person to person but the most frequently reported include:

- A continuous low mood, which may be worse in the mornings
- Feeling irritable
- Crying a lot
- Lack of interest or pleasure in activities you would usually enjoy
- Loss of self confidence
- Lack of energy
- Tiredness
- Poor concentration
- Difficulty making decisions
- Feeling helpless or hopeless
- Feeling guilty
- Agitated or restless feeling
- Trouble sleeping
- Loss of libido
- Disturbed eating patterns
- Unexplained aches and pains
- Thoughts about suicide

Your doctor is likely to prescribe some form of anti-depressant, but there are a number of things you can do to help make yourself feel better.

What you eat has a direct impact on how you feel. Everyone should aim to eat a balanced diet. Follow our handy tips:

- Don't skip breakfast - this provides much needed energy for the day ahead, if skipping breakfast is unavoidable why not try Nutren Build Up Nutrition Shakes (Available in Chocolate, Banana, Strawberry and Vanilla flavours) so you get the nutrients you need.

- Don't skip meals. This can leave you tired and irritable, so you should aim to eat something every 3-4 hours.

- Minimise sugar and refined carbohydrates. Whilst you may crave sugary snacks, or comfort foods these 'feel good' foods quickly lead to a crash in mood and energy.

- Focus on complex carbohydrates. Food such as baked potatoes, whole wheat pasta and bananas can boost serotonin levels without the crash that comes from sugar.

- Boost your B vitamins. Deficiencies in B-vitamins can cause and trigger depression. To get more of these, take a B-complex vitamin supplement such as Healthaid Vitamin B Complex Supreme Caps.

- Foods rich in certain omega-3 fats called EPA and DHA can give your mood a big boost. The best sources are fatty fish such salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and some cold water fish oil supplements. Or if you don't particularly like fish, try Omega 3 rich supplements, such as Healthaid Balanced Omega 3.6.9 Capsules.

- Enjoy the taste of your food - eat slowly and savour it.

Exercise may feel like the last thing you want to do when you are depressed, but studies have shown that regular exercise can be as effective as prescribed medication at increasing energy levels and decreasing feelings of fatigue.

To get the most benefit, you should aim to excerise for 30 minutes each day. Start small and work your way up to the full half hour. Try walking instead of taking the car if possible, or taking the stairs rather than the lift.

The key is to pick something you enjoy, so you are more likely to stick with it. Why not try something new? Why not yoga so you can rest your mind at the same time as pumping up your energy.

Stress prolongs and worsens depression; as well as being a trigger. In order to stay well it is important to learn how to minimise and cope with stress.

- Aim for 8 hours sleep. Typically depression involves some form of sleep problem. Whether you are sleeping too little or too much, your mood suffers. Try Kalms Sleep tablets, a herbal remedy to promote a good nights sleep.

- Practice Relaxation Techniques. Daily relaxation practice can help relieve symptoms of depression, reduce anxiety and boost feeling of joy and wellbeing.

- Identify things that make you stressed. Work out what factors in your life are stressing you out. Examples include: work overload, unsupportive relationships or health problems, Once you have identified your stressors, you make a plan to trry and avoid them or minimise the impact they have on your life.

- Go easy on yourself. Some stress can be self imposed by negative thinking and holding yourself to impossibly high standards. Battle this by challenging your negative ways of thinking.

- Plan ahead. If you know what is stressing you out, by planning ahead you will be able to identify and avoid unecessary stresses.

Homeopathy is a system of medicine which is based on treating the individual with highly diluted substances given in mainly tablet form, which triggers the body’s natural system of healing. Homeopathy can be safely used alongside conventional medicines and will not interfere with the action of medicines prescribed by your doctor. Because homeopathic medicines (often referred to as remedies) are non-toxic, there are no side effects and they are safe even for pregnant women and babies.

There are a number of remedies suitable for treating symptoms of depression and anxiety:

- Nelsons Kali Phos. Helps calm temporary nerviness, nervous headaches, nervous indigestion or stress due to worry or excitement.

- Nelsons Sepia. Made from cuttlefish ink. Used for weary irritable people with postnatal depression, loss of libido and menopausal symptoms.

- Nelsons Argent Nit helps alleviate symptoms associated with anxiety including diarrhea, heartburn, flatulence, digestive complaints, sweating and palpitations.

- Nelsons Arsen Alb helps alleviate symptoms of anxiety, exhaustion, chilblains, dry and burning throat, anxiety and fear, burning pains, burning pain in the stomach, burning and itching with cold hands and feet, diarrhoea, hayfever, influenza, psoriasis and cramps in calves.