What is Depression, and How Therapy Can Help
“Depression, for me, has been a couple of different things - but the first time I felt it, I felt helpless, hopeless, and things I had never felt before. i lost myself and my will to live.”
A Common Mental Health Issue
Low mood or depression affects up to 3.3% of registered patients in England at any one time, and can affect 1 in 5 older people. Depression, then, is a common mental health issue that impacts many of us during our lives.
What is Depression?
Low mood and depression presents differently in different people, but general indications of low mood or depression may include any number of the following:
Sensations
Low energy
Low motivation
Sleepiness
Heaviness
Poor concentration
Poor memory
Restlessness
Emotions
Sadness
Irritability
Anger
Numbness
Tearfulness
Despair
Anxiety
Behaviours
No longer doing the things you used to enjoy
Withdrawing from
others
Not eating appropriate (skipping meals and/or
over-eating)
Sleeping during the day
Self-harming
Thoughts
"I can't be bothered"
"What's the point?"
"It's my fault."
"I'm worthless"
"I'm useless"
"There's no hope."
“It’s hopeless.”
What Causes Depression?
There are many things that can cause or trigger depression, but some of the more common causes include:
Trauma
Grief and loss
Negative sleep patterns (link to research here)
Low self-esteem
Medical illnesses
Unemployment
Loss of a sense of purpose or meaning in life.
Any major life-change, such as retirement or marriage.
Situational stressors
Abuse or bullying
Relationship breakdowns
For more information on low mood and depression, you might find the NHS Choices website useful.
What Can Help?
When faced with low mood or depression, it's not uncommon to think 'there's no hope'. Apart from how difficult it would be to try to live day by day with this thought, it may also get in the way of exploring options that might, in fact, aid recovery. There are ways to recover from depression.
Scientific research has shown that counselling and psychotherapy, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), greatly increase the chances of recovering from low mood or depression. In my experience with clients, different things work for different people. For some, a more practical, pragmatic approach (looking at specific things that can be done), can help break the depression cycle and thus aid recovery. For others, there is a basic need to talk things through, and this in itself is enough to trigger change and improves well-being. Sometimes a more creative approach is needed, especially if the depression or low mood is more long-lasting, where specific exercises can help “get under” the low mood and uncover what is really going on.
Whatever the approach, an effective counsellor or psychotherapist would be able to offer the person choice.
Change is Possible!
Depression, then, is not something that must simply be endured. Yes, we all have down days and this is normal. However, if you feel stuck in a depressive episode, if you’re struggling to free yourself from this cycle, seeking help from an effective counsellor / psychotherapist will greatly increase your chances of recovery. By helping you talk things through, or supporting you to explore specific techniques that you can use, counselling can help lower your feelings of depression, and restore your well-being.
You may also find this video useful: