Is depression making you feel like you don’t have the energy or patience to make it through another day?
Everyday there are a thousand things that could offset our emotions, make us feel unworthy, insecure, unloved. It could be the culmination of a million unattended feelings shoved under a rug or that one, major moment that makes our knees weak. These are the circumstances which consume our mind from one moment to the next, hogging our attention and stealing our patience.
Depression steals joy
Over time our world can begin to feel like there is a dark shadow cast over every facet of our lives; our relationships, jobs, and school. Completing basic tasks, like getting out of bed in the morning, can feel overwhelming. It can become hard to sleep or constant sleep may become an escape. You may feel the need to avoid people and start canceling plans out of fear that negative emotions might be readily seen.
Perhaps the dark shadow of emptiness, numbness, or sadness will pass. However, it may no longer be possible to go through the motions of life without immense struggle; then shame and self-loathing can take over. This is depression, it is sneaky, and it slowly but steadily steals joy from life.
There is hope for joy again
What is it that you want in life? Is something keeping you from what you desire? Or if you don’t know the problem, the solution can seem impossible to find. You can’t see the big picture, when you’re at the center? Someone from the outside with a fresh perspective is the solution. That’s exactly what a depression counselor can help with.
It may be hard to imagine feeling good again, but with help, wellness is within your reach. Depression is more common that you might think and incredibly responsive to treatment. Exploring the different areas of your life and circumstances that may have led to your feelings of sadness can help you to get unstuck. Learning to process information differently, and cope with emotions and life stressors can boost your mood. Just imagine, what could your life be like if you were no longer depressed?
Depression is nothing to be ashamed of
Depression is simply your body and mind’s way of speaking to you and telling you it needs attention. Depression can be hereditary and some of us are just predisposed to “getting the blues”. Other times, it can be the result of a situational stress, loss of a loved one or a difficult life circumstance. Depression can occur after a significant loss such as a death, loss of a relationship, or a job loss. It can be short or long in duration and may manifest differently for different people. For some, their depression comes out as anger and irritability. For others, depression appears as frequent crying, or a loss of feelings and numbness.
When depression hits, the brain filters out positive thoughts and focuses on negative ones. This generates a feedback loop of more depressive thoughts. What is amazing is that the brain can be re-trained! The brain can be taught to process emotions and difficult situations more adaptively. Depression doesn’t make you weak or a bad person. Talking about your thoughts and feelings with a therapist can help you to “re-wire” you brain and alleviate some of your depression symptoms.
You might be wondering…
Why would I want to talk about sad things – won’t that make me more depressed?
This is a normal fear and it makes perfect sense. However, sad feeling are still there, no matter how hard you try to silence them. Most often depression doesn’t just go away; it can hide, however, and fester. Supressed depression may surface as tiredness, headaches, stomach problems, or other physical health issues. Talking about sadness with a therapist and learning about the tools to deal with depression can help with your symptoms.
Unlike friends and family, your therapist is trained to talk with you in such a way as to move you forward and to move out of the depressive thoughts and feelings. Your counselor can help you to understand your feelings and will collaborate with you on skills and techniques to help get you out of the “stuckness” that you feel.
Maybe this is just a “funk” and it will go away on its own
It is possible that your depression will go away on its own, especially if your symptoms aren’t too severe or the negative stressor is removed from your life. However, it’s possible that even when the stressor is gone, the negative feelings and sadness can still remain. Seeking therapy can often reveal the larger picture and help you to obtain more enjoyment in your life.
Your therapist can provide the tools to combat depression more effectively; and, make future mangement of difficult life circumstances possible. When you are more in-tune with your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors you can feel more balanced. Therefore, holistic depression counseling can empower you to make choices that boost your mood, build resilience, and add to your overall enjoyment of life.
I’m so depressed, I don’t have the energy to work on it
It’s difficult for someone with depression to seek treatment. The depression itself can be a barrier to getting help. Sometimes depression can come in waves, even throughout a single day. If you have a moment of energy to reach out and make an appointment, it might be helpful to capitalize on that moment for the benefit of your longer-term wellness. When you get started, your therapist can help provide you with some ideas to get you engaged in therapy and in turn, re-engaged with your life.
We can help you make life feel brighter again
Our therapists have successfully worked with clients suffering from mild to severe depression for well over a decade. Providing evidenced based treatment that is customized your specific needs – and wants – will help your counselor to empower you to heal.