Depression Therapy
Is Depression Preventing You from Living Life to the Fullest?
Do you feel hopeless, helpless, or wonder what the point of life is?
Are you losing interest in things you normally enjoy and having a hard time envisioning your future?
Do you feel like no one cares about you or would miss you if you weren’t here?
Do you lay awake at night and wonder if these thoughts will ever go away or if you’ll ever feel better?
Depression impacts our lives in many ways, and it can be extremely difficult to navigate and effectively challenge the thoughts and feelings that come with it, but depression therapy can help you get back to feeling like yourself again.
Right now, you may have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning. You may have low energy and question the point of doing anything, even the things you “need” to do. You may find that you procrastinate and have a hard time motivating yourself, leaving you feeling like you’re falling behind, which leads to guilt. You may not feel interested in spending time with family or friends or doing other enjoyable activities. You may feel isolated, irritable, or indifferent about the world around you.
Depression therapy can help.
Many People Experience Depression at Some Point in Life
Depression is extremely common. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, roughly 21 million U.S. adults have experienced a depressive episode at some point in their lives. Many of these individuals have sought help for their depression through depression therapy and other means, but many have not. They continue to suffer in silence. You don’t have to do the same.
Depression Remains a Stigma
Although depression is more commonly talked about in today’s world, there is still a lot of stigma that prevents people from understanding depression and getting help. Many people think they must be sad all the time to be depressed. Or that they can’t or shouldn’t feel depressed because they haven’t suffered a life-altering experience. We often compare ourselves to others and feel like they have it worse, so we tell ourselves we’re “fine” even though we’re not. Pursuing depression treatment can help you challenge these thoughts and address the way you’re feeling.
Depression Impacts People in Different Ways
Depression and treatment look different for different people. Depression often manifests on a continuum—mild, moderate, or severe—that can vary based on life changes or experiences, as well as other variables, such as your support system or coping skills.
Depression Can Be Severe
Major Depressive Disorder is the severe form of depression—and how many people think about or perceive depression. It’s defined as feeling sad or having lost interest in activities you generally enjoy—more days than not—over a two-week span.
You may experience changes in your sleep or appetite. You may have low energy and motivation, feel worthless, or have a hard time concentrating on tasks and responsibilities. You may even experience suicidal thoughts. This could happen after a big life experience, such as losing a job or going through a breakup. However, it’s also common to not have a clear cause for depression. This contributes to people minimizing how they feel and not seeking help. No matter the circumstances, depression therapy can help change how you feel for the better.
Depression Can Be Mild
Dysthymia or Persistent Depressive Disorder is a form of chronic depression. Although symptoms are the same as Major Depression, they tend to be milder and last longer—at least two years. You may feel like you have a looming cloud over your head. Since your symptoms aren’t severe, you may question if you’re actually depressed.
It’s important to know that this is still depression and there are types of depression treatment that can have a positive impact on your life.
Depression Therapy Can Help You Live a Fulfilling Life
Depression therapy has proven to be effective in treating depression. First, our depression counselors help you understand your depression. Since many things lead to depression, we explore your history to determine what may be contributing to or impacting your depression and why. Have you experienced trauma or a major life transition? Sometimes there are clear factors like moving, financial difficulty, or being unhappy in a job. But in other situations, there isn’t something clear and easy to point to.
With depression, there is a discrepancy between how you’re living your life and how you want to be living your life. As a result, our next step is to look at your priorities and values. What is important to you in life? What motivates you? What are your goals? This helps us determine where you want to be, and we come up with a plan together to help you get there. Your depression therapist will go on this journey with you.
To get you where you want to be—happier and healthier—we use evidence-based approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which focus on changing the way you think and making behavioral changes. This helps you build skills that allow you to start living life again.
Often with depression, we lose our motivation and interest in doing enjoyable activities. This combined with feeling bad about yourself—having low self-esteem—are often the biggest barriers. Using tools like Opposite Action, where we do the opposite of what we feel like doing, helps us push back on our desires and reengage with our lives again. You learn how to challenge your negative thoughts about your self-worth and rebuild your confidence.
Given that depression is one of the most common mental health issues, our depression counselors have a lot of experience treating it and have specialized training in CBT and ACT for depression. Together, we will determine which approach works best for you and teach you coping skills to help manage your symptoms.
To do this, our compassionate depression therapists focus on getting to know you as a person and your unique life experiences. This allows us to then tailor our approach to your individual needs. Your therapist will be with you every step of the way as you create and execute an action plan that includes small, manageable steps to help you feel like you’re living your life again instead of simply going through the motions.
You Still May Have Doubts About Depression Therapy
Can I be depressed if there are times when I’m happy?
You don’t have to be sad all day or every day to be depressed. It’s likely that you will still have times when you have fun and laugh, which is great. But it’s important to not use those experiences as reasons to dismiss the hardships you’re experiencing. Depression therapy can help you grasp onto those moments of happiness and create more of them.
I’m staying on top of everything, so I’m probably fine, right?
Many people get up and go to work every day, perform their jobs well, and spend time with family and friends—but are still depressed. Pushing through and going through the motions of life doesn’t mean you’re coping with your depression effectively (or at all). You want to give yourself credit for the steps you’re taking, but also realize depression counseling can get you where you truly want to be.
Do I need medication?
Depression therapy is very effective in treating depression, but our therapists also recognize the value of medication and will help you get connected with a psychiatrist if medication needs to be explored. We will also coordinate care with your doctor and be your advocate to help you get the best care.
You Can Take Control of Your Depression
We would love to help you navigate this journey. Depression doesn’t have to rule your life, and our depression therapists are here to help. We understand reaching out and getting started is often the hardest part. That’s why we try to make it as easy as possible by allowing you to schedule online at your convenience. You don’t have to speak to anyone until you are ready to do so.
You can also request a free 15-minute consultation to get a feel for your depression therapist and ensure they’re the right fit.
