Depression treatment so you can get back to feeling better.
Are You Struggling With Situational Depression?
Zero Energy or Motivation
Tired, so tired you could sleep all day (unless you have insomnia too). You might think of things you should do, but can’t seem to find the energy or motivation to actually do anything - so you’re swimming in guilt too. Everything you do feels exhausting, like it takes every ounce you have to do it.
Hopeless & Pointless
You know you’re in a funk. Maybe you feel sad, overwhelmed, or totally numb. You may have noticed your thoughts start to take on a theme of “what’s the point?” Everything you think of is quickly shut down with feelings of hopelessness - and if this goes on long enough, you may begin to have suicidal thoughts.
Harsh Inner Critic
Depression brings a sharper tongue than the worst critic you’ve ever met. It calls you a loser, a failure, a worthless waste of space. It says “you don’t deserve anything good, your feelings are stupid, you’re weak.” How do we know this? Because everyone else’s depression is saying the same thing.
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The Crisis Lifeline offers free, confidential support 24/7. You do NOT have to be actively suicidal to reach out for help. If it’s 2am and you just need someone to sit with you while you cry or just listen and not say the wrong thing - give them a call. Just let them know you need someone to talk to.
Top 6 Myths of Situational Depression
Most people with Situational Depression come up with the same strategies to try and manage it. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most common tactics, (along with explanations for why these don’t work long-term).
If you’ve been relying on these rules for managing your depression you might have noticed that you get short-term relief. However, you may have also noticed that over the long-term your depression has only gotten worse. You may be feeling more down, more tired, or having more severe suicidal thoughts than you did before.
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With depression, rest is actually counter-productive and more likely to keep you in a depression much longer. With physical fatigue from intensive labor, rest is both necessary and helpful. What our body needs during a depressive episode, is actually gentle activation in the form of baby steps to help our energy return.
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While this may work short-term to change your mood, self-medicating is not an exact science. As a result, most people who self-medicate to manage their moods often over-shoot and miss the mark - plunging themselves into a deeper depression they hadn’t intended.
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Depressed thinking is usually overly negative and unhelpful. While these thoughts may seem convincing when you’re feeling down, they’re more often a reflection of your physical state than a reflection of reality. Believing them is more likely to keep you depressed for longer.
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This is classic depression logic. In reality, demanding too much of yourself when you’re not feeling well is a recipe for more depression. The trick for beating the overwhelm and fatigue is to set the bar so low you could almost roll over it - and use the tiny dopamine hit you get to build on tiny successes.
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Whether “it” is a good job, a loving partner, or friends - this is self-defeating logic that only keeps you depressed. In reality, we often have to fight for the things we want in life and rarely are they handed to us. By focusing on how “lucky” and “deserving” others are, you unintentionally keep yourself stuck.
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While this may seem like a short-cut to getting your energy back, in reality it keeps you stuck. If you have normal emotional pain about something you’ve been through, finding a healthy way to express it can actually help you move through it and get your energy back - trying to stuff it down and deny it just keeps you depressed.
How Depression Treatment Can Help
When It’s Time to Call In the Pros
Situational depression can affect major areas of your life - your relationships, work, finances, self-esteem, and even your physical health. Everyone feels down, sad, overwhelmed, or lonely from time to time. Certain situations, such as the social isolation having a child or going through a divorce can cause major changes in mood that are often completely normal and settle on their own. Mood changes aren’t necessarily a problem that warrants therapy, as long as it’s mild and isn’t affecting your life. If you notice your depression symptoms have been going on for longer than 2 weeks, if they’re bothering you, or if they’re negatively affecting major areas of your life, it’s time to reach out. Read on to learn more about how our team can help.
“Research has shown that CBT Treatment for depression is more effective than antidepressant medication at preventing relapse and future episodes of depression.”
Repair Your Relationships
After successfully completing depression treatment our clients report noticing positive changes in their relationships - less snapping at their kids, more connection with their partner, and less isolation from friends. They often describe feeling like less of a burden and more like they have something to offer in their relationships.
Raise Your Self-Esteem & Energy
Many of our clients who successfully complete depression treatment report feeling less overwhelmed by everyday tasks like paying bills and cleaning the kitchen. They report feeling more capable in general, which can have a positive impact on long-term self-esteem.
Depression treatment can have a positive impact on sleep problems that are often associated with depression. Better sleep means more energy. More energy means more motivation to get back into activities you used to enjoy.
Better Physical Health & Less Pain
Because of positive changes in mood, our clients report feeling healthier overall - with less cravings to turn to “junk food” for comfort and more energy to engage in physical activity.
Research has shown that people with chronic health conditions, who also struggle with depression, experience more physical pain. People who successfully complete depression treatment have the potential to decrease the frequency and intensity of pain related to chronic health conditions like fibromyalgia and migraines.
Boost Work Performance
Our clients often report that improved mood has made it easier to stay focused and make less mistakes at work. Depression treatment can also make it easier to keep a job by improving attendance because you’re no longer missing work or simply walking away from jobs due to depressed moods.
Being able to maintain longer stretches of employment can not only allow you to advance, but can have a positive effect on your self-esteem too. Our clients who complete bipolar treatment also report less excessive spending that often comes with the compulsive shopping that’s common during manic episodes.
Ready to Get Started?
Get In Touch With Us
Perhaps one of the hardest steps you’ll have to make by yourself is the first step of reaching out to us. Send us your info and we’ll take it from there, supporting you each step of the way.
Complete a Free Consult
You might be nervous about making phone calls or not sure what to say - either way we’ll walk you through it step-by-step in about 15 minutes. We like to be sure it’s a good fit first.
Have Your First Session
We’ll set up your first session with your therapist to complete your initial assessment. This helps to ensure we have a solid game plan from the get-go so you can feel confident in the process.
References:
Dobson, K. S., Hollon, S. S., Dimidijian, S., Schmaling, K. B., Kohlenberg, R. J., Gallop, R. J., et al. (2008). Randomized trial of behavioral activation, cognitive therapy, and antidepressant medication in the prevention of relapse and recurrence in major depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 76, 468-477.