Is your depression getting the best of you?
Is your depression no longer managable on your own? Are the symptoms beginning to impact your performance at work or school?
Has Your Depression Drained All The Desire And Motivation Out Of You?
Do you feel sad, lonely, and tired all the time? Are there times when you would rather stay in bed than get up and face the day? Have you lost your desire for pleasure and find that you no longer enjoy the activities that once brought you happiness?
It might feel like a light has gone out and all the color has been drained out of your life. Participating in simple activities like taking a walk or talking to a friend on the phone may seem like too much effort. Nothing feels good in your mind or body, and the worse you feel, the more you withdraw from others. Perhaps they notice how down you are, but you steer clear of them because you don’t want to admit you have a problem.
Maybe the way you feel is also affecting you physically. You may suffer from unhealthy weight changes, oversleeping or insomnia, and even brain fog. Perhaps you have stopped taking care of yourself because you don’t see the point of anything. Deep down, you feel worthless and believe nothing matters.
Maybe you’ve managed your depression well up until now, as it’s become impossible to ignore how your low mood negatively impacts your life. You might be prone to angry outbursts or get frustrated over minor things. Perhaps you no longer feel like an engaged spouse, parent, or employee because you lack any energy and motivation to be sociable. Instead, you feel tired, overwhelmed, and unable to fulfill your obligations at home and work.
The good news is depression is treatable. With therapy, you can learn new ways to take care of yourself and restore the hope that you can once again feel happiness and pleasure
Treatment Can Help Lift The Weight Of Depression Off Your Shoulders
When you are dealing with depression, it’s common to begin the therapy process feeling unmotivated and unsure where to begin. That’s why I want to offer you a safe, nonjudgmental place to reconnect with yourself at your own pace. If you don’t feel inspired to share everything on your mind at first, that’s OK. I understand you are struggling and will be patient until you feel ready to open up and start examining your thoughts and feelings.
In our initial session, we will talk about what has brought you to therapy. If you initially lack the motivation to engage in the process, I might ask you to journal your thoughts or assign you homework in order to give you some direction to get started. As I gain more background information, I will evaluate what treatment plan I think will be most helpful to you. Together we will identify the goals you’d like to achieve in depression counseling.
When treating depression, I don’t use a one-size-fits-all approach. If your depression stems from a situational crisis, I will utilize various solution-focused techniques to help you get back to a stable baseline in a relatively short amount of time. I will help you normalize how you feel and provide you with coping skills to process what you’re experiencing.
If your symptoms of depression are more severe, I will use a long-term therapy approach. We will identify if there is any past trauma that contributes to your low mood—perhaps there is a painful experience from your childhood that you don’t realize is still affecting your thoughts and behaviors. In some instances, medication may also be advised, in which case I can refer you to a licensed psychiatrist.
I use various modalities to treat depression, including Motivational Interviewing, Solution Focused Therapy (SFT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). With Motivational Interviewing, I will ask you open-ended questions with encouragement and empathy and invite you to dig deep and elaborate on the thoughts and feelings you have disconnected from. With SFT, we will focus on your strengths as well as successes from the past to motivate and remind you that you have can solve your own problems.
Meanwhile, ACT encourages you to accept the way you feel without judgment or negativity and to commit to the challenges you’re facing rather than avoiding them. Combining ACT with mindfulness-based therapy can be an effective way of coping with depression.
Treatment for depression is the first step on the path back to the life you want. By exploring your thoughts and feelings on a deeper level and learning new coping skills, I am confident that you can renew your sense of motivation and purpose in life.
Many Depressed People Suffer In Silence Without Getting The Help They Need.
While everyone experiences sadness from time to time, the duration and intensity of depression is longer and stronger than normal sadness. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, Major Depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the United States. In 2017, an estimated 7.1 percent of the U.S. population—or 17.3 million adults—had at least one major depressive episode. Unfortunately, approximately 35 percent of those people did not seek treatment for their depression.
The causes of depression range from situational events such as illness, injury, financial hardships, job loss, the death of a loved one, or the postpartum period. In other instances, we may suffer from depression due to factors like family history, genetics, or early childhood trauma. Sometimes normal sadness can slip into longer-term depression when we are isolated and alone and don’t feel heard by or connected to others.
Overcoming depression can be challenging due to the shame and stigmas related to mental health in our culture. In some communities, mental illness is still viewed as a weakness. At many churches, we might be instructed to “pray depression away” rather than encouraged to seek therapy. Moreover, many of us focus on the symptoms of depression instead of addressing its root causes.
Luckily, you don’t have to be weighed down by depression anymore. Therapy can show you how to break away from the thoughts and behaviors that keep you stuck in a state of sadness and low energy
But you may still be wondering whether depression treatment is right for you…
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The idea of sharing my personal life with a stranger sounds intimidating. Once you give it a chance, therapy can be a liberating experience. Once you realize that you have permission to talk about whatever has been bothering you, you will begin to feel unburdened and validated. The problems that are weighing you down will become lighter once you share them with a trained professional. We will move at a comfortable pace so that I can understand how to help you
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I’m afraid to admit I need help for depression. Understandably, you’re scared to admit you need help because once you admit it, then you have to do something about it. The idea of seeking help might seem embarrassing or shameful to you, but the truth is that sometimes we all need help. There is no shame in that. And luckily, therapy can help you effectively manage the symptoms of depression so that you can begin to experience some immediate relief.
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I don’t think therapy can help me. I understand that right now you probably feel hopeless. You may lack the perspective that it’s possible to feel better in your body and mind. However, there are many forms of treatment available that can help you change the way you see the world and react to stressful situations. If you’re willing to consider therapy, you open yourself up to the possibility of improving how you feel, so what have you got to lose?
There Is Light At The End Of The Tunnel When You Treat Your Depression
Therapy can help you change your outlook on life and reconnect with yourself in a whole new way. For a free, 15-minute consultation, please use the contact page.