We often use the expression ‘I feel depressed’ when we’re feeling sad or miserable about life. Usually, these feelings pass in due course. But, if the feelings are interfering with your life and don’t go away after a couple of weeks, or if they come back, over and over again, for a few days at a time, it could be a diagnosis of depression and you may benefit from depression therapy.
In its mildest form, depression can mean just being in low spirits. It doesn’t stop you leading your normal life, but makes everything harder to do and seem less worthwhile. At its most severe, major depression (clinical depression) can be life-threatening, because it can make you feel suicidal or simply give up the will to live.
There are also some specific forms of depression:
The following are all symptoms of depression, and if you tick off five or more of any of them you are probably depressed.
Depression presents itself in many different ways. You may not realise what’s going on, because sometimes your problems seem to be physical, rather than mental or emotional. There are also some other mental health problems often linked to depression.
People who are depressed often have anxiety as well – the two problems often occur together, and each can make the other worse. If you are feeling anxious, your mind may be full of busy, repetitive thoughts, which make it hard to concentrate, relax, or sleep. You may have physical symptoms, such as headaches, aching muscles, sweating and dizziness.
Depression varies very much from person to person and can happen for one or more reasons. Occasionally it may appear for no obvious reason. Some causes of depression include:
We take an holistic approach to depression therapy so that each client receives what works best for them. This is called integrative counselling. When clients come to us with an idea of what they need, we always recommend that we discuss the options first so we can reach a joint decision about what would be most effective.
With depression therapy and counselling, it is important that the client realises there is a problem and that our mental health and wellbeing can be affected by experiences and events that have happened at any age during our lives.
Some issues are more deep-rooted than others. And some are more complex than they seem at first. We are flexible and will recommend changes to any agreed plan if we think that would be better for you.
Jeff has been feeling very low for the last 6 months. He told me that
this had been the second episode of depression that he had experience
in two years. Last time he had to take two months off work and he was
seeking therapy to avoid having to take time off again.
He told me that he started to feel low after a colleague had been
promoted in favour of him. He started to think that he was not good
enough, that he makes too many mistakes and that his superiors had
taken a dislike to him. He told me that he thought that he had no hope
of being promoted and achieving what he would like to in life. He also
was thinking that he had let his partner and children down.
As result of this negative thinking be began to feel very low. Jeff
then started to sleep in, get to work late, stopped socialising with
colleagues, would be quiet in the office, he began to withdraw from
friends and family by not answering calls and avoiding social events.
He also started to eat more than he usually would and withdraw from
his exercise schedule. Jeff told me he had also withdrawn from his
partner and said they currently were spending minimal time together.
As a result positive experiences were minimal and the consequences of
this was that his negative thinking was maintained and became more
rigid and distorted.
Therapy started with gaining an understanding of the thoughts and
behaviours that had been maintaining Jeff’s depression. We started
gradually increasing activities that usually hold his interest and
stimulate him in a positive way. He gradually increased social
activities and contact with those he cares about. He gradually started
to eat well and increase exercise. Understandably, he was very
unmotivated initially but his motivation grew. He started to work hard
again at work and this was acknowledge in his performance review.
While he returned to usual activity levels we also focused our
attention on his distorted thinking. We used cognitive techniques to
challenge and restructure errors in thinking. For example, he was
thinking that he had let his partner and children down. This actually
could not be further from the truth and they were very appreciative of
the life he had worked hard to give them. His family did not feel let
down. It is important to understand that just because we have
repetitive themes in thought does not mean what we thinking is
factual! Using cognitive techniques Jeff learnt how to be more
balanced in his thought. Improved thinking and increased positive
behaviours led to a huge improvement in mood for Jeff.
Jeff also realised that beliefs of letting others down and not being
good enough had been strongly established in childhood, as a result of
his relationship with his critical parents. It is likely that these
beliefs were activated when he was not promoted, leading to the
depression cycle. We also worked hard to address these core beliefs to
avoid relapse.
“I was surprised at how quickly working through my issues with my therapist had a positive impact on all areas of my life”
