Depression Therapy

Is Depression Zapping Your Energy And Bringing You Down?

Has it become difficult to find enjoyment in the activities you once loved? Even though you’re able to function, is there an underlying sense of hopelessness you cannot shake? Do you worry you will never feel better?

The dark cloud of depression can create a sense of not being in control, leaving you helpless and hopeless. Perhaps normal activities seem overwhelming to you as you struggle to find any joy or purpose in them. Because your motivation has seemingly vanished, performing the simplest task might feel as if your body and mind are trying to move through thick quicksand.

When you experience life through the lens of depression, thoughts of sadness, guilt, and regret continually swirl in your head. Self-harm or suicidal thoughts may appear out of nowhere and terrify you. As much as you try to ignore them, these negative feelings never seem to leave you.

Your Low Mood Might Affect Your Physical Health

The physical toll depression may be taking on your well-being contributes to your overall sense of discomfort and unease. Along with physical aches and pains, headaches, stomach aches, and loss of appetite, your symptoms of depression may also include chronic fatigue or sleep disturbances that cause you to sleep too much or not enough. You might also be experiencing brain fog or have difficulty concentrating. Perhaps you’ve withdrawn from family and friends because you feel lonely even when you’re around people. Sadly, the way you feel can make you feel irritable and unsociable.

The good news is that you can find your way out of this darkness and feel like yourself again. Overcoming your depression using evidence-based treatment proven effective in reducing symptoms can help you get back to the joy you’ve been missing.

The Causes Of Depression Can Be Multi-Layered

Depression is caused by a complex and layered interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors. If we’ve lived through traumatic life events in childhood or adulthood, we are more likely to suffer from depression. Moreover, there is a strong interaction between physical health and depression, whereby a disease can lead to depression or vice versa.

Although there are innumerable quick fixes touted on social media or in the news for dealing with depression, when they don't work, we often feel even more hopeless. Sadly, if we believe we’re weak because we can’t “snap out of it,” embarrassment or shame can prevent us from reaching out for help. We often suffer in silence, ignoring the signs before realizing how detrimental our depression is.

The Pandemic Has Brought About More Depression

According to the World Health Organization, “Depression is a common illness worldwide, with an estimated 3.8 percent of the population affected, including 5.0 percent among adults.” What’s more, a study conducted by Brown University found that “32.8 percent of U.S. adults experienced elevated depressive symptoms in 2021, compared to…8.5 percent before the pandemic.”

It’s no wonder that there has been a dramatic rise in depression since the arrival of Covid. The prolonged isolation we’ve all faced coupled with the ongoing uncertainty of when—or if—life will ever return to normal has led to a sense of hopelessness. Most of us have experienced grief and loss first-hand, in the form of losing loved ones, our livelihoods, or our former way of life.

If regular exercise, good nutrition, positive social engagement, and healthy relationships don't help lift your depression symptoms, then seeking therapy is the next step to take. A mental health professional can help assess what you’re experiencing and identify the core issues contributing to your depression.

Therapy Can Help You Get A Full Assessment Of Your Depression And Offer Ways To Manage It

If you wish you could restore your energy and no longer be bogged down by depression, therapy can help. Psychological counseling can provide a confidential place to explore what may be contributing to your depression symptoms and help you strategize ways to alleviate them.

Therapy offers a deeper look into your worries, fears, and feelings of helplessness. It also provides a sense of connection with a knowledgeable and compassionate person that can help you feel less lonely and isolated.

What To Expect In Sessions

Your clinician will conduct a full assessment of what you are experiencing and assist you in exploring the best interventions to relieve symptoms and rebuild a happier and more content life. This may include addressing the impact that traumatic life experiences have had on you—such as neglect, abuse, or exposure to warfare—or determining whether there is a history of depression in your family.

At your first session, your therapist may ask you whether you have had thoughts or attempts at harming yourself, or someone else. Because suicidal thoughts are a common symptom of depression, your safety must be assessed first.

Consultation with a physician may also be recommended to address any possible physiological issues that might be contributors to your mental state, such as hormone or blood sugar imbalances, a heart condition, or substance abuse. Our clinicians also work collaboratively with psychiatrists and treatment facilities if we think antidepressant medication may benefit you.

We are solution-oriented—we will help you identify what your symptoms are and their contributing factors, as well as offer therapy and coping skills to achieve full recovery. Working collaboratively with you, we will create a treatment plan with goals and markers for healing.

The Modalities We Use

We utilize trauma-informed modalities including Somatic Processing Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for treating depression. Somatic Processing emphasizes the mind-body connection, combining psychotherapy with physical techniques to help you “release the pent-up tension that is negatively affecting your physical and emotional wellbeing.”

EMDR is a comprehensive psychotherapy modality that can help you process and refile traumatic memories that have been stuck in your mind and body, contributing to depressive symptoms. And the techniques learned in CBT will help you reframe the thoughts you have about yourself and your place in the world more positively. With CBT, we will bring awareness to your negative self-talk so that these thoughts no longer break down your self-esteem.

Additionally, by teaching you strategies you can implement into your daily routine such as good sleep hygiene and self-nurturing habits, mindfulness and breathing techniques, and writing as a form of self-expression, you will build a toolbox of tangible coping skills that can help alleviate your symptoms. And helping you formulate a plan to improve your motivation will help you discover a renewed sense of purpose in life that brings hope for the future.

Depression is a curable condition—you don’t have to live with it anymore.

But You May Wonder Whether Depression Therapy Is Right For You…

I don’t think overcoming depression is possible because I’ve always been this way.

We understand how frustrating dealing with depression can be. You may have tried coping with your depression in various ways in the past that haven’t worked for you. Or perhaps you are under the misapprehension that this is just the way you are and there’s no hope of ever changing. Yet, you are not alone. Connecting with an experienced mental health professional can open you up to things that you may have never considered or known about.

Doesn’t seeking depression counseling mean that I’m weak?

The stigma surrounding mental health and therapy can be crippling. Historically, our culture has associated struggles with mental health as a sign of weakness rather than acknowledging that when we seek help for depression and anxiety, it should be viewed no differently than seeking medical therapy for a broken bone. In fact, seeking treatment for depression is a sign of strength, not weakness. It demonstrates your willingness to address your health and improve your quality of life. When you decide you want to feel better—whether in your mind or body—there is no shame in that.

I don’t see how I’ll feel comfortable talking to a stranger about my problems.

It’s very common for people who have never attended depression therapy to initially be uncomfortable with the idea. After all, it’s normal to feel apprehensive about sharing your private thoughts with someone you don’t yet know. Because they understand your concerns, your therapist will encourage you to be open about your fears so that they can address them directly. By explaining the process in understandable ways and letting you ask any questions you have, they will strive to help ease your worries.

Take The First Step Toward Healing

Once you take the step out from under the dark cloud of depression, you will start feeling like yourself again. For more information about depression therapy, please call our office at 760-942-8663 to speak to our intake coordinator or visit our contact us page.