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  • Depression Treatment

    Do You Feel Too Exhausted And Burnt-Out To Enjoy Life?

    Are you struggling with a lack of motivation and energy? Do you have a hard time just getting out of bed and leaving the house most days? Maybe you’re dealing with trauma, a breakup, or grief and loss, and every day plunges you deeper into despair. What seemed like a temporary struggle may have become a chronic problem. Or perhaps you don’t know the reason for your sadness—you simply can’t summon any joy for the things you love, and you feel no motivation to get better. Maybe you ask yourself: do I have depression?

    Depression doesn’t simply mean feeling “sad” or “upset.” It’s a debilitating condition that drains your energy and makes you feel disinterested in everything around you. It can cause body aches, excessive fatigue, lack of appetite, and sleep troubles. The relationships and activities that you once enjoyed you may feel like a chore now. You may find yourself withdrawn and isolated, saying no to outings with friends and keeping to yourself all the time.

    Put simply, depression can drain the motivation you need to overcome it. As much as you want to feel better, you may find yourself too exhausted and burnt-out to try and do so. This is why it’s so vital to seek help. Counseling with us can help you learn coping skills for managing your emotions, improving your self-esteem, and overcoming depression.

    Many People Deal With Depression Without Knowing It

    Roughly seven percent of adults in the United States are diagnosed with clinical depression.[1] In reality, however, the condition is even more common than the numbers imply. Many people struggle with depression without even realizing it because sadness and hopelessness have become their normal emotional baseline. Oftentimes, they have felt miserable for so long that they don’t know what it’s like to feel differently.  

    What’s more, most people do not know what depression really is. On the surface, people often mistake the condition for laziness because of how it drains your motivation. And if you are too depressed to spend time with friends, they may view you as antisocial or reclusive. For these reasons, some people may think depression is your fault. Perhaps they tell you to just “move on” or “get over it,” without understanding that depression is a deeply-rooted problem that isn’t always possible to control. There may be a genetic component to your depression, or it could be related to trauma or abuse that you’ve suffered.

    On your own, however, it’s difficult to make connections between the past and present and identify the root cause of your depression. There may be unprocessed experiences in your past that unconsciously affect your chances for maintaining happiness today. Here at Helping Moon Counseling, our goal is to help you understand the source of your depression and use that knowledge to come up with your own coping skills and calming strategies.

    Depression Treatment Can Help You Strengthen Your Self-Care Routine

    When you’re dealing with depression, it’s easy to tell yourself: “This is just the way I am. I’ll will never feel any differently.” If this is how you feel, we encourage you to take heart. With the right tools and support, it is possible to find relief from your symptoms and even live a life free of depression. We will help you strengthen your self-care routine, develop new coping skills, and reframe negative beliefs, allowing to be happier and healthier in the long run.

    In the beginning, we will discuss your needs, finances, and scheduling options and pair you with the counselor who matches you best. From there, our goal is to help you explore your stressors and equip you with coping skills to deal with them. It’s important that the skills you develop are your own. After all, you know yourself best—you have your own beliefs, interests, and lifestyle choices. You know what works and what doesn’t. Whether you benefit from meditation, deep breathing techniques, or more frequent exercise, we want to help you expand your toolbox and adjust your self-care routine. Our goal is to help you create a comprehensive treatment plan that takes into account every aspect of your life.

    One of the main approaches we utilize in depression treatment is called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. EMDR will help you identify early memories that you may not have processed in a healthy way. For instance, if you experienced trauma or abuse at a young age, you may have developed negative beliefs about yourself that fuel your depression today. The goal of EMDR is to help you desensitize these memories so that they no longer overwhelm you or cause you to think negatively about yourself.

    Additionally, our practice also draws heavily from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). At its core, CBT seeks to help you make connections between your beliefs, emotions, and behavior. CBT will teach you to reframe negative beliefs and replace them with healthy and adaptive ones. For instance, if your depression stems from the fact that you feel unlovable, CBT can help you identify and change the thought processes responsible for your low self-esteem.

    Ultimately, the possibilities for depression treatment are endless. Whether you experience healing and peace of mind through art, exercise, or mindfulness strategies, we are confident that you can alleviate your symptoms. After all, a large part of overcoming depression is simply making subtle shifts in your everyday self-care routine. Depression may feel permanent, but with help and support, it is possible to experience peace of mind and live joyfully for years to come.

    You may have some concerns about depression treatment…

    I’ve always been depressed and I don’t think I’ll ever change.

    Though genetics or in vitro trauma can influence a person’s likelihood of developing the disorder later in life, no one is born with depression. Ultimately, regardless of how long you’ve suffered from depression, change is always possible. By understanding the root causes of your symptoms, you can address your depression at its source and use your coping skills to keep it from dominating your life.

    Talking about depression is not going to help me.

    Through therapy, you can learn about the patterns of thinking or behavior that made you experience depression. In this way, expanding your self-awareness can open up new avenues for growth and help you come up with more creative coping strategies. Besides, counseling is not just about discussion. It’s about equipping you with practical skills that you can use in your daily life. And although we always try a holistic approach first, we can also collaborate with a psychiatrist who prescribes medication if you’d like. Medication can help you improve your mood and allow the work of therapy to become easier.

    Depression has been in my family for decades. How will I ever be any different?

    Even if you are predisposed to depression due to genetic factors or a chemical imbalance, there are ways to help you feel better. Millions of people who struggle with depression are able to find relief and enjoy life, and we want to help you do the same. The field of psychology has grown immensely in recent decades, and there are more options for treatment than ever before.

    Depression Doesn’t Have To Hold You Back In Life

    If you wish you knew how to treat depression, we would be to honored to help you develop new coping skills and live with a newfound sense of joy and purpose. To get started, you can email us or call 561-571-1557 for a free, 10- to 15-minute phone consultation.

    Right now, due to COVID-19, all our depression therapy sessions are online. 

    [1] https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression.html