Depression

Unfortunately, depression has become a fairly common mental disorder.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are over 300 million people of all ages suffering from depression today, and it is more common in women than men.

How can you tell if you have severe depression?

Depressive episodes are categorized as being mild, moderate or severe.

There are many symptoms that occur when you suffer from depression.

Here are some of them:

• Sadness

• Easy to tears

• Energy depletion

• You have a really hard time making decisions

• Too much or too little appetite

• Increased use of stimulants

• Suicidal thoughts

Depression is a disease and just as you can't just jump up and run around with a broken leg, you also can't just ‘pull yourself together’ when you are suffering from depression. In fact, depression is a serious disorder that can become chronic if not treated.

Depression will, among other things, negatively affect your ability to function both at work and at home and is also a risk factor for suicide; it is estimated that approx. 800,000 people die each year due to suicide worldwide. In addition to this, it is estimated that for every person who commits suicide, there are about 20 others who have tried.

There are many different ways that psychotherapy can help you out of a depression. By working out your difficult feelings with a trusted therapist, you can:

• Get forgiveness for the feelings, thoughts and actions that contribute to your depression.

• Become better at understanding and identifying core problems or events that may be the cause of your depression.

• Learn techniques to help you resolve the emotions that underlie your depression.

Some forms of therapy (such as cognitive behavioral therapy - CBT) have been found to be particularly effective in depression. When you work with a cognitive psychotherapist, you can expect to get some homework in the time between your conversations. For example, doing daily relaxation exercises, writing a journal about how your mood is from day to day, or challenging yourself in different ways.

You can also expect to be encouraged to look at things from a new angle and learn new ways to respond to events or people.

In therapy, we focus on the thoughts, feelings and problems that are of interest to you right now. You may find that there is a connection between experiences in the past and blockages or challenges in the present. Therefore, the past can be included in the therapy if and when needed.

Contact me now to book your initial consultation. I look forward to supporting you.

This link will show you a short informative animation about depression.