Depression Treatment
Do You Feel Like You Are Just Going Through the Motions of Life?
Are feelings of hopelessness and even despair with you most of the time?
Do you want life to be joyful and meaningful, but you just can’t seem to get there?
You may feel like you are just dragging yourself through life. Most of the time you feel down and discontented; you feel tired and listless. You have lost interest in the activities that used to give you pleasure and make you feel your life is worthwhile.
From a counseling perspective, to be diagnosed with depression, you need to have some of these symptoms nearly every day for a period of at least two weeks: depressed or irritable mood, a loss of interest or pleasure in most activities, having trouble falling asleep or sleeping too much, feeling fatigue and a loss of energy, difficult with concentration and making decisions, thoughts of dying or suicide.
Along with these symptoms, you may also be critical and harsh on yourself. You may tell yourself: For the most part, my life is good, so why can’t I be happy. You do not want to feel this way, but everything you try doesn’t work, so you come to the conclusion that something is wrong with you.
Of course, you may have these feelings from time to time in response to a difficult or painful experience. But when these feelings are there most of the time, you may be suffering from depression.
CORONA VIRUS uPDATE: online therapy
If you are already struggling with depression, the Corona virus crisis can make it worse. You may be worried about a family member or yourself being infected. You may be asking questions like: How long will this go on? Will all the precautions I take work? What happens if I lose my job? And then there is the stress that comes from being at home and unable to do your normal routine. You can talk about these things with me through online therapy. If you would like to know more, click here.
Depression is More Common Than You Think
Sadness is a normal human emotion that all of us have in our lives, typically in response to an experience that is difficult, hurtful, or challenging. Depression, however, is an emotional state that can show up and last. You may not even be aware of a specific event that triggers your depression. Major depression impacts your thinking, your emotions, and your outlook on life. With depression, you feel less energy and motivation, and you experience less joy, pleasure and satisfaction in many areas of your life.
Depression is one of the most common reasons that people come to counseling. Twelve percent of men and twenty percent of woman will have an episode of major depression. Major depression can persist. Fifteen to thirty-nine percent of the people who have depression may still be depressed after one year; 22 percent remain depressed after two years.
There are other problems that can contribute to depression; some of the these are post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and drug dependence. Fortunately, with the help of a good depression therapist, you will be able to address all of these concerns that play a role in your depression. So, it is important to seek help if you have major depression.
Depression Treatment Can Help You Create a Life of Vitality
You may have tried to overcome your depression by controlling the distressing thoughts and feelings. You may try to change your negative thoughts to positive thoughts, or you try to avoid the thoughts and feelings and the situations that lead to them. These efforts may give you some short-term relief, but it is difficult to have the same control over your internal world—thoughts, feelings, memories, and desire—that you have over the world around you. So depression treatment will help you find ways to have a different relationship with these distressing thoughts and feelings.
The feelings of depression can be painful, but instead of trying to control or get rid of your feelings, depression treatment uses them as a guide to discover what matters. After all, the reason you feel this pain is not because you are broken or defective; instead there is something about these situations that matter to you. Depression is not a problem to be solved; it is a signal that your life is out of balance in some way. So you can use the information in your depression to help you create a new life. This new life isn’t about avoiding or controlling the problem; it is about creating a life of meaning and hope.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is the approach that I use for depression treatment. ACT is an evidence-based approach that has been proven effective in treating depression and a variety of other problems. I have helped many clients move beyond the hopelessness of depression to making confident decisions about valued living that add direction to their living
ACT gives you the tools to overcome the avoidance of difficult thoughts and feelings. You will learn mindfulness exercises that allow you to pay attention to the present moment, even moments that contain difficult thoughts, in a nonjudgmental and detached way. You will learn some practices that allow you to have compassion for yourself and others, instead of getting caught up in replaying all your past failures or overanalyzing all your personal flaws. You will gain the ability to look at your thoughts and emotions, instead of being controlled by them.
You will identify what you value in different areas of your life: family, work, leisure, community, intimate relationships. You will commit yourself to goals and actions that give expression to these values. After all, you don’t want to say you did a good job keeping the depression under control. Instead, you want to claim how you have lived a life of fullness.
By being fully present with the thoughts and emotions that lead to depression, without judging or avoiding or fighting them, I can help you can create the space you need to name and choose behaviors that give expression to the values that give your life meaning and vitality.
I Still Have Some Questions About Depression Treatment
Isn’t accepting my thoughts and feelings the same as giving up and letting the depression win?
It may feel that way because you learn very early in life that if you have negative feelings, you are supposed to get rid of them. And the best way to get rid of them is to avoid them or to replace them with more positive thoughts. But remember, what works for the external environment doesn’t work with our thoughts and feelings. For example, think of an early childhood memory; maybe a family vacation or your favorite pet. Picture it as vividly as you can. Now, delete it and remove it completely from your memory. How did you do? This is what we try and do with depressive thoughts and feelings, and it doesn’t work. Acceptance allows you to have a different relationship with your thoughts and feelings that is not about control; instead it is about curiosity and openness.
What about antidepressant medication? Should I take them?
There has been a lot of discussion about the effectiveness of antidepressant medication. Recent studies show that there is a 40 to 50 percent chance that you will respond to medication. It can also take several weeks before you feel the effect of many antidepressant medications. Medication can reduce some symptoms like fatigue, loss of energy, or lack of sleep. But medication will not change your thinking and behavior. The skills and practices you learn in counseling can help you make changes that are meaningful, and lasting.
Cognitive and behavioral therapies, like ACT, may actually work faster than the medication. Finally, even if you benefit from an antidepressant, it is still wise to use some of the strategies you learn in depression treatment.
What about the cost of counseling? Can I afford it?
I encourage you to think of counseling as an investment. It is not just about overcoming or managing the symptoms of depression. It is about developing a whole new strategy and approach to your living that can give you direction, purpose, and vitality. If insurance does not cover some of the cost of your treatment, I have a reasonable private pay fee.
Depression Doesn’t Have to Hold You Back Anymore
I would welcome the chance to work with you in overcoming your depression and develop a full and meaningful life. You can click the Contact button below to set up a 15-minute phone consultation as you decide about setting up and appointment.
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