Rediscover the joy you have been missing.
Depression.
Some people mistakenly believe that depression is just sadness. It can be sadness, but there can be more to it. Depression is dragging yourself out of bed still feeling exhausted. It is showing up to work and faking a smile and making it look like you have everything together so that no one knows that your world feels like it is falling apart behind the scenes. Depression is over drinking, over eating, or overworking so that you don’t have to feel or think. It is being irritated at people and things you used to be able to ignore. It is feeling so lonely, but being unable to bring yourself to get off your couch and turn off Netflix to get ready to go out and socialize and then hating yourself for it. It is being successful and it not mattering because you still don’t feel good enough. It is being there for everybody and holding everybody together, while you fall apart alone. It does not have to be like this. Depression is treatable. Counseling therapy can help restore your joy and beat depression.
Symptoms of depression…
Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness, or hopelessness
Angry outbursts or irritability
Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you used to enjoy
Sleeping too much or too little
Fatigue and lack of energy. Small tasks take extra effort
Increased or decreased appetite. Weight loss or weight gain
Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements
Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, focusing on past failures
Difficulty thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things
Thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts
Unexplained physical aches and pains (headaches, body pain)
How does therapy help?
Counseling therapy will help you identify and change the thoughts and behavioral patterns that are keeping you stuck in depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy will help you to identify and challenge the thoughts that are feeding your depression so that you can replace the negative thoughts with thoughts that are more helpful and realistic. In addition to challenging your thoughts, you will learn about the behaviors that contribute to depression and make it worse. Together we will discover what changes in behavior need to occur to help you feel better. It may be increasing exercise, setting boundaries, asking for what you want or intentionally becoming more active. Together we will find the best course of action for you to beat depression.