Depression is a common psychological experience that can affect you if you are a child, teen or an adult, it is always treatable with therapy. You might suffer from depression as a result of a combination of biological, environmental, and psychological factors, and each of them can be addressed along with your relationship to them through talking therapies.
Your experience can be caused by any number of things such as stress, genetic predispositions or certain events in your life. If you suffer from depression, you might experience feelings such as sadness or hopelessness for long periods which can interfere with your everyday life. career or school achievements
What Causes Depression?
Depression is a condition that affects your mind, and it can be caused by a number of things. Most recently, it has been highlighted that a chemical imbalance in your brain is not proven to cause any depression; but more likely to be related to stressful life events and experiences. The chemical imbalances are more likely a symptom of your condition rather than a cause.
If you have relatives that have been diagnosed with depression, you may think or may have been told that you are more likely to develop depression than someone who does not have any family history of the illness but you need to know this is not true for everyone, and depression is not necessarily genetic or innate.
What are the different types of depression?
Depression is a classed as a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It can affect your thoughts, behaviour, mood, and physical well-being. There are several classes of depression, and the class you have depends on the specific symptoms you experience. Some types of depression overlap or have similar symptoms, so it can be hard to tell them apart unless you are an experienced trained professional.
The most common diagnoses of depression you might be facing are Major depressive disorder, Persistent depressive disorder, and Postpartum depression. We help people recover from this mental health condition without judgement and blame.
Major depressive disorder
Major depressive disorder (MDD) includes the most severe cases of depressive disorders. If you have MDD, you may have severe symptoms of depression like periods of feeling sad or hopeless nearly every day, lasting at least two weeks. You may also have other symptoms such as changes in sleep, appetite, energy level, concentration and thinking; negative thoughts about yourself or your future; and suicidal thoughts or attempts at suicide.
Persistent depressive disorder
Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia) involves milder but longer-lasting symptoms than a major depressive disorder (MDD). If you have dysthymia, you may feel depressed for at least two years in most months, but not every day. You may have similar depression symptoms as those with MDD.
Postpartum depression
Postpartum depression is a type of depression that can affect you if you are a new mother, but can also continue for years if left untreated. If you have postpartum depression you might have symptoms of depression that are similar to other forms of major depression, such as low self-esteem and fatigue, but they will also reflect upon the relationship you have with your child and your emotional attitude towards tasks related to caring for it. Postpartum depression can also affect your ability to care for your baby in ways similar to other types of serious mental illnesses like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, which is why it is necessary to talk to your GP or consult a therapeutic professional such as our team to consult them about your behaviour and emotional wellbeing. A healthy parent is vital for a baby to grow into a healthy adult.
Clinical Depression
Clinical depression is another common type that causes severe feelings of sadness and loss of interest in life. It affects how you feel about yourself and others, how you think about the world around you, whether or not you sleep well, how much energy you have, and whether or not you enjoy eating. The symptoms of clinical depression are not always obvious as it can be just a moderate depression, but it can affect your ability to work, study and interact with others.
What is important is that all these diagnoses from the DSM, diagnostic and statistical manual, are not you; they are a label of the stage in life where you currently stand, not who you are as a being, a person, an existence. Who you are is an unbreakable, mentally healthy human who is having a difficult time handling stressful situations and triggers. We can help you gain control over these events and emotions.
Am I depressed?
Depression is a serious medical condition that affects how you feel, think and behave. It’s not the same as being sad or blue, which are normal emotions you experience from time to time. Depression symptoms can be physical depending on how severe or moderate depression you have, such as weight loss or gain, sleeping problems, and fatigue. It can also affect your thoughts and behaviour. You may find it hard to concentrate on work, school or daily tasks; you might withdraw from friends and family, or you might feel hopeless about the future or guilty about things that have happened in the past, and these all are symptoms of depression.
Can Depression be Cured?
The answer to this question is a resounding yes. Depression can be managed, cured and prevented, this is the aim of our therapy here. It is important to understand that you might experience periods of severe depression in your life, a true depressive disorder requires depression treatment.
Depression is a serious condition that can affect you at any time. The good news for you is that not only there is depression treatment available, but there are many ways in which you can manage your own symptoms of depression as well as prevent them from reoccurring in the future, such as talk therapy or electroconvulsive therapy.
Depression symptoms and signs
Depression is a serious, but common, mood disorder. It affects you in many ways. The depression symptoms and signs can vary from person to person. You may experience only a few of them if you have moderate depression, while others may have several. Below are the most common symptoms of depression:
Difficulty Making Decisions / Concentrating
This is one of the major depression symptoms. If you have depression, you may feel like you are unable to make decisions or concentrate. You may have trouble focusing on tasks, and feel as if your mind is foggy. You might even feel that you are more forgetful than usual. You may also have trouble making decisions about the simplest things, such as what to eat or whether to go out with friends on a particular night.
Low Energy and Fatigue
If you have depression, you might feel like you don’t have the energy to do things that used to be easy for you. You may lose interest in activities that were once fun, like going out with friends or exercising. This can make it hard for you to get through your daily routine and responsibilities at work and home. Low energy levels can also make it difficult for you to stay motivated when trying new things or making changes in your life.
Low mood - feelings of worthlessness
If you have depression, it can affect the way you think about yourself, the way you feel about the world and your place in it, and how you behave towards other people. It can also change your physical health. Severe depression can sometimes lead to suicidal thoughts or self-harm if you don’t recognise and get depression treatment, don’t leave it until its too late.
Trouble Falling Asleep - Insomnia
This is another serious symptom among other depression symptoms. Depression is a condition that can affect your life in many ways. It can cause insomnia, which in turn can make depression worse. As a result, you may find yourself feeling exhausted and like you can’t get through your day. If this is happening to you, it could be a symptom of depression. You may rely on coffee or other stimulants to help you feel energised, but these only provide a temporary solution.
Restlessness - Irritability
Restlessness, feeling fidgety or agitated, is a common symptom of depression. You may feel like you have to keep moving all the time, unable to sit still. Or maybe you can’t relax or get comfortable in bed. In either case, you’re tired but not sleepy — your mind races at night and during the day. You may also find that your concentration is poor and you can’t concentrate on what people are saying to you or what you’re doing.
Suicidal Thoughts / Ideation
If you have severe depression, you might be having suicidal thoughts. And if you find yourself thinking about death or suicide, get help immediately. Among other depression symptoms, this one might be the most severe and needs immediate attention from a health professional. Talking therapy could be helpful in this situation. Talking therapy allows you to work through your troubling emotions and feelings by speaking with a counsellor or a skilled professional. Talking therapies can also assist you to avoid depression relapse once you’ve recovered.
Negative Self Talk
If you have depression, you may have a negative view of yourself and your situation. You may think that you’re stupid or worthless, are unable to solve problems or make decisions, or are a burden on others. These thoughts are distorted and inaccurate, but they can be hard to avoid.
Loss of Appetite - No Interest
Depression causes a loss of appetite and a decreased enjoyment of food. Your body may not be getting enough nutrients or energy from your diet, which can lead to weight loss or weight gain. You might also notice that you’re not hungry when it’s time for meals or snacks — even if you just ate a few hours ago. This is because depression affects your circadian rhythm, which controls when you feel hungry or tired.
Avoiding Social Interactions
If you’re depressed, you may start to withdraw from friends and family. It’s easier than trying to explain what’s wrong or feeling embarrassed by your emotions. You might also start to isolate yourself from other people in general.
Compulsive Overeating - Binging
Overeating, binge eating, and compulsive eating are all signs of depression. If you’re binge eating, the problem isn’t just about food. It’s about how your emotions affect your eating habits. When you feel sad or stressed out, it’s easy to turn to food for comfort — which might help at first but then becomes a problem when you continue to eat even when full.
Depression Risk Factors
There are several factors that may put you at increased risk for severe depression, including:
- Family history of depression. Depression tends to run in families. If a family member has been diagnosed with depression, you may be more likely to develop the condition.
- Traumatic life events. Major life stresses such as divorce or the death of your loved one can trigger depression too.
- Lack of social support. Being isolated from your friends and family members makes it more difficult for you to cope with any problems that might come up in your daily life.
When is the right time to seek help for mental health problems
If you have been feeling sad or hopeless for 2 weeks or more if you have been feeling tired, irritable or anxious for 2 weeks or more if you have been having trouble sleeping or have been sleeping too much and/or if you have lost interest in things you used to enjoy – this may be an indication that depression is present.
If so, it is important for you to seek help from mental health professionals as soon as possible. There are ways to treat depression; however, it must be diagnosed by a professional before any treatment can begin.
How is depression treated with psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a form of treatment that helps you treat depression by talking about your thoughts, feelings and behaviours. It is talk therapy and it can be effective in helping you with your mental health problems to:
- Understand your depression better and how it affects you on a day-to-day basis.
- Be aware of any negative ways you think about yourself or others, which may be contributing to your depression.
- Learn new ways of looking at things so that you feel less depressed overall.
Different types of depression therapy
Depression treatments can be effective, but there are many depression treatment options and it may take some time and effort depending on your mental health condition to determine the best treatment for you. There are many different types of treatment options in therapy for depression or mental health conditions. They work in different ways and may be better at treating certain symptoms than others. Major types of therapy include:
Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic therapy is a type of psychotherapy that is based on the theories of Sigmund Freud. It is theorised that depression occurs when you have repressed or forgotten painful memories, which cause mental and physical symptoms, like loss of appetite or trouble sleeping.
A good healthcare professional would use psychodynamic therapy to help you remember these forgotten memories so that you can process them and move forward with your life.
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy - DBT
DBT is a form of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which teaches you how to manage your emotions.
DBT is an evidence based psychotherapy that can help if you have a chronic, unstable relationship with your emotions and thoughts.
As such, it’s an effective treatment for depression as well as other mental health disorders.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - CBT
CBT is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on the relationship between your thoughts, feelings and behaviours. It is based on the theory that how you think, act and feel are all connected.
CBT helps you to identify negative or unhelpful thoughts and beliefs about yourself, others or your life circumstances which may be contributing to your depression.
CBT can also help you challenge these negative thoughts so that they become less distressing or upsetting.
Person Centered Counselling
The Person Centered Counselling approach is one of the most widely used forms of therapy for depression, as well as other mental disorders.
It aims to help you understand what’s behind your thoughts and feelings so that you can make changes in your life and improve how you feel.
The therapist helps you understand yourself better so you can identify your problems or worries more clearly. This helps you make changes in your thinking patterns, which may reduce symptoms related to depression like low moods or lack of motivation.
Interpersonal Therapy
The focus of Interpersonal Therapy is on relationships: past, present and future. The relationship between you and the therapist is an important part of treatment, as well as any other relationships that have had an impact on your development and functioning. These could include significant others (parent/child or spouse), family members or peers from school.
Other psychological therapies
In addition to those listed above, other types of therapy may be effective too for your depression. Some other therapies include Family-based therapy, Behavioural activation, Humanistic Therapy as well as Group Therapy etc.
How is therapy performed?
Going to therapy is a process of change and growth, like any other relationship. You will be working together with your therapist to get the most out of your time together. The therapist does not have all the answers; instead, you can help each other understand what’s going on for you right now and make changes that are right for you. Your therapist will help guide you through this process by asking questions and listening carefully to what you say.
This means that they’ll ask questions such as: “What do you want to work on?” or “What would be helpful?” They also might ask some personal questions about how your life is going right now (for example: “How are things going at home?”). Therapy is a collaborative process where both of you share your thoughts, feelings, experiences and ideas with each other in order to understand yourselves better. It’s important that both of you feel comfortable when talking about yourselves so you’re able to work together as equals within the therapeutic relationship!
Online vs In-Person Psychotherapy
When you’re choosing between online and in-person psychotherapy, one of the major factors to consider is your own comfort level. You might prefer to meet face-to-face with your therapist, while others might feel more comfortable communicating online.
If you don’t have time for in-person therapy or simply prefer the convenience of video chatting with a professional, online therapy can be an excellent option. Online therapy is also useful if you live far away from the nearest mental health professional or if you’re unable to leave your home due to illness or disability. If you’re looking for more one-on-one time with your therapist, in-person therapy can be a great choice. In addition to providing online support, some therapists offer additional therapies for different mental health struggles.
Medical Treatment for Severe Depression
If you have seen your doctor for treating depression then you may have been given medication. If things are severe, you may have also seen a psychiatrist or psychologist who specialises in treating mood disorders. We not an advocate of medication, and often we have helped people come off medications to have a more stable and joyful life. The most common treatment for depression is medication, which can help relieve symptoms such as low mood, loss of interest and hopelessness, however, this does not work for everyone and can be detrimental, addictive and difficult to withdraw from.
Antidepressant medications
While antidepressant medications are usually part of the treatment for depression, they are not a cure. Since medications work differently for each person, it takes about 4 to 6 weeks to know if your medication is working.
If one type of antidepressant doesn’t help with your symptoms, your doctor will likely recommend something different after talking with you about other options that could be helpful. Take these decisions carefully as medication is a last resort, not a quick fix.
Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are a class of drugs used primarily as mood stabilisers in the treatment of clinical depression. Your doctor might prescribe you some tricyclic antidepressants depending on your condition. Their usefulness is limited by their side effects, which include drowsiness, weight gain, dry mouth, constipation, blurred vision, urinary retention, dizziness upon standing or rapid heartbeat.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
If you’re looking for medication to help treat depression, you’ve probably heard of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These are one of the most common types of antidepressant medication. SSRIs have fewer side effects than other antidepressants.
Lifestyle Remedies for Depression
The first step in treating depression is to take a look at your lifestyle. As you know, there are many ways to help yourself feel better and improve your quality of life. You can use these simple lifestyle changes to help with feeling depressed and also make it easier for you or your loved one to get treatment:
Wait and see
The best thing to do when it comes to depression treatment is to talk with your doctor or another healthcare professional about what options are right for you. But if they don’t suggest anything specific, then maybe the most sensible course of action for you is to just wait and see how things go over time.
Exercise
Exercise is an amazing tool to combat your depression. It’s a great way to manage your stress and anxiety, and it can help you sleep better at night. Exercise also helps your body produce endorphins and dopamine—chemicals that give you a natural high. While exercise doesn’t cure depression, it does help on the days when you feel down and out by providing positive feelings about yourself and life in general, which can lead to a greater sense of self-worth.
Self-help
Self-help is a great treatment option as compared to other treatments for your depression. It can be an effective way to manage your symptoms and help you feel less depressed, but it’s important to know that self-help is not a substitute for professional help. You should only use Self-help in conjunction with therapy or medication.
Why it's important to get Therapy for Depression
If you are developing depression, it is important to seek help. You may be reluctant to do so because of the stigma around mental health issues and the fear that others will think less of you. However, there is no shame in getting help for your developing depression or mental health problems from a mental health professional. The first step in getting therapy for depression is to find a therapist who can meet your needs. A good therapist should be able to help you understand what causes your depression and what you can do about it. Depression therapy is not just talking about your problems; it’s also about learning how to manage them better. With good therapy, you can learn how to cope with stress, solve problems and improve your relationships with other people.
Question & Answers
DEPRESSION - FAQ
How do you treat depression?
Depression can be paralysing for some, it really depends what stage you are at and what you need. The therapeutic relationship requires both input from the therapist, and the client, we do not fix anyone, nor does anyone need fixing. We go on a journey together and things start to look different, we like to call it insight lead learning.
Do you prescribe medications as treatment for depression?
We do not get involved in medications as we are not medically trained, we have no opinion on if you should or shouldn’t take medication. What we have found is that people often find themselves wanting to stop medication after being in therapy a while, simply because they feel better.
What therapies are best for chronic depression?
A holistic approach to treatment bringing together psychodynamic, and cognitive elements as well as spiritual explorations of true nature often have the best and most impacting long term effect.
What should I do if I experience postpartum depression?
It is always good to get support with your struggles we can never see when we are in the dark, but having someone shine a light on what is really going on is often priceless in the attempts to get better, we are here for you.
Do you treat suicidal clients?
Yes we will work with you if you are suicidal however, we would closely asses your mindset and rational thinking ability, it may be better that you refer yourself to a psychiatrist if you are feeling overwhelmed but we love nothing more than to help people who are in a really dark place see the light again.
About The Author
Jason Shiers Dip.Psych MBACP
Jason Shiers is a Certified Transformative Coach & Certified Psychotherapist. Jason has been working with addictions and people in recovery for over 25 years now and is always looking towards the innate mental health that is inside everyone.
This therapy is a holistic view of the mind body taking approaches from psychological understandings, somatic practices and spiritual explorations such as non duality and advaita vedanta.
Jason has been cited in multiple articles about addiction, therapy, coaching and mental health and is a regular contributor to many different websites.
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