Treatment for Depression

Every one of us will experience depression in our lifetime. When someone we love dies, a marriage ends, or when other significant life changes occur, it is natural for the emotional response to be depression.

Some people, however, have feelings of emptiness, worthlessness, irritability, and physical pain every day. For these individuals, depression is a medical and clinical condition consisting of symptoms more severe than situational depression.

A primary distinction between clinical depression and situational depression is that those with clinical depression do not know why they feel empty or have suicidal thoughts. They just do. Those with situational depression understand why they feel as they do, and their symptoms usually improve when the stressor is removed. In both cases, therapy can be extremely helpful. While talking about problems is important, so is working toward solutions in a supportive and safe environment.

Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety is a natural response to the brain’s perception that a person is in danger. When the sympathetic nervous system is triggered, hormones are released into the bloodstream, preparing that person to fight or flee. The tricky part is that the body responds to anxiety and fear in the same way, so it is the brain’s job to determine if the threat is real or unreal.

This process becomes more complicated when, during childhood, a person experiences many events that are perceived as threatening or when fewer events occur but the intensity is profound. As a result, the fight-or-flight response is triggered too often and too easily. Worrying excessively and avoiding situations that cause anxiety can be distressing and disruptive to daily life.

Therapy can help with symptom management as well as identifying changes that need to be made in a person’s life. Using mindfulness, challenging negative thinking, and facing anxiety provoking situations can help bring high levels of anxiety down to a more adaptive level.

Relationships

Essentially, our lives are shaped by three kinds of intimate relationships. Our family, close friends, and romantic partners teach us the importance of knowing and valuing someone and being known and valued ourselves. Healthy relationships require the investment of time and patience. Accepting responsibility for our behaviors and mistakes is pivotal if we intend to grow beyond these stumbles.

Becoming more self-aware about our personal communication style, how honestly we convey our feelings and needs to loved ones, and evaluating our expectations of those around us can be an insightful experience. Developing our ability to listen, to genuinely be present, conveys to loved ones that they are a priority. It is an opportunity to support them and recognize their need to be heard. Understanding how to resolve conflict is imperative in relationships of all sizes and shapes.

Diane Sawyer recalled advice she received once while working on a story. She said, “Someone said to me…’A criticism is just a really bad way of making a request. So why not just make the request?'”

Are you in an abusive relationship and unsure how to get out? This article offers resources that you may find helpful.

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/abuse/getting-out-of-an-abusive-relationship.htm

Self-Esteem Challenges

Do you feel valuable? Accepted? Are you proud of your accomplishments? What beliefs do you hold about yourself? Self-esteem is the measure by which a person values, approves of, or believes in him- or herself. On the surface, this may appear to be a “simple” topic, but it can quickly become quite complex. Research has shown correlations between low self-esteem and teen pregnancy, poor academic performance, school dropout rates, and violence. It has also been linked to eating disorders, people wanting to change their physical appearance, and it fuels a person’s belief that they are not good enough.

The good news is that a healthy self-esteem is attainable! While working with your therapist, you will be encouraged to examine the expectations you have of yourself, compare yourself with only yourself, embrace mistakes as opportunities, and gain deeper insight about who you are.

“You are enough. You are so enough. It’s unbelievable how enough you are!” – Sierra Boggess

Grief and Loss

Grief takes its time and marches to its own drum. There is no right or wrong way to grieve, and the process cannot be constrained by subjective rules. One of life’s greatest challenges is coping with the loss of a loved one or something cherished. Changes in employment, relocation, transitioning from high school to college or college to the “real world,” a devastating diagnosis, the death of a beloved pet, natural disasters, experiencing a miscarriage, letting go of a dream… loss is a uniquely personal experience.

There are healthy ways to experience grief, and therapy can provide you with a safe space to begin healing. Acknowledging your feelings and learning how to express them in productive, positive ways is essential to moving forward. Maintaining a routine, staying in touch with friends and family, and being mindful of your physical health are equally as significant. You and your therapist can explore community resources and various other options to provide you with the support you need.

“There is not a typical response to loss, as there is no typical loss. Our grieving is as individual as our lives.” – Elisabeth Kübler-Ross