Causes and Treatment of Depression
Recognizing Depression
Depression looks different in different people.
Depression can be a thick, heavy fog that slows you down and makes it almost impossible to enjoy life.
Depression doesn’t always feel sad. You may feel empty or worthless or hopeless. Most people feel tired or unmotivated, but some get a nervous, irritable energy.
Depression changes the way you think. You may have difficult concentrating. There can be a loss of interest in things that you once enjoyed. Problems seem insurmountable. You may find yourself thinking that it would better if you didn’t wake up in the morning or even think about killing yourself. (If you are thinking about killing yourself at this moment, call the Suicide Crisis hotline at 1-855-278-4204 right now.)
Depression can affect your body. In addition to feeling very tired, there are often sleep problems – sleeping too much, insomnia or early morning wakefulness. It affects your appetite. You may find yourself eating too much or having no interest in food. You may have headaches, cramps or other digestive problems that don’t get better with the usual treatment.
If you aren’t sure if you have depression, contact Elizabeth for a professional opinion about your situation.
Depression can be a thick, heavy fog that slows you down and makes it almost impossible to enjoy life.
Depression doesn’t always feel sad. You may feel empty or worthless or hopeless. Most people feel tired or unmotivated, but some get a nervous, irritable energy.
Depression changes the way you think. You may have difficult concentrating. There can be a loss of interest in things that you once enjoyed. Problems seem insurmountable. You may find yourself thinking that it would better if you didn’t wake up in the morning or even think about killing yourself. (If you are thinking about killing yourself at this moment, call the Suicide Crisis hotline at 1-855-278-4204 right now.)
Depression can affect your body. In addition to feeling very tired, there are often sleep problems – sleeping too much, insomnia or early morning wakefulness. It affects your appetite. You may find yourself eating too much or having no interest in food. You may have headaches, cramps or other digestive problems that don’t get better with the usual treatment.
If you aren’t sure if you have depression, contact Elizabeth for a professional opinion about your situation.
Causes of Depression
Depression seems to be caused by a combination of biology, external stressors and internal patterns of thoughts and feelings.
Biological Factors in Depression: Depression clearly has its roots in the biology of the brain. Researchers have found distinctive differences in brain functions between people with depression and people without depression. Using medication to change the level of certain neurotransmitters can to help reduce depression (although scientists aren’t quite sure why.) There is also a pattern may be genetic component since people with a family history of mood disorders (depression or bipolar disorder) seem to be more likely to experience depression. Certain diseases can cause depression (beyond the fact that it is depressing to be sick) and so can certain drugs, including alcohol.
Psychological Factors in Depression: Certain patterns of thought can also contribute to depression. For example, someone who tends to think in extremes (all black or all white) will be easily discouraged by a setback, while someone who is tuned into the variations within an experience may be able to see signs of hope.
External Factors in Depression: Clinical depression (the kind that needs treatment) is often triggered by distressing events that would be upsetting to anyone. It is normal to feel depressed after a major loss, whether it is a death, a break-up, a lay-off or even the loss of a dream. An accumulation of lesser events can also add up to enough stress to A series of stressful or unpleasant events can also become a trigger for depression. Most of the time people are resilient and bounce back on their own. However, sometimes people need help , especially if they have biological or psychological risk factors for depression.
Biological Factors in Depression: Depression clearly has its roots in the biology of the brain. Researchers have found distinctive differences in brain functions between people with depression and people without depression. Using medication to change the level of certain neurotransmitters can to help reduce depression (although scientists aren’t quite sure why.) There is also a pattern may be genetic component since people with a family history of mood disorders (depression or bipolar disorder) seem to be more likely to experience depression. Certain diseases can cause depression (beyond the fact that it is depressing to be sick) and so can certain drugs, including alcohol.
Psychological Factors in Depression: Certain patterns of thought can also contribute to depression. For example, someone who tends to think in extremes (all black or all white) will be easily discouraged by a setback, while someone who is tuned into the variations within an experience may be able to see signs of hope.
External Factors in Depression: Clinical depression (the kind that needs treatment) is often triggered by distressing events that would be upsetting to anyone. It is normal to feel depressed after a major loss, whether it is a death, a break-up, a lay-off or even the loss of a dream. An accumulation of lesser events can also add up to enough stress to A series of stressful or unpleasant events can also become a trigger for depression. Most of the time people are resilient and bounce back on their own. However, sometimes people need help , especially if they have biological or psychological risk factors for depression.
Treatment for Depression
The two most common treatments for depression are counseling and medication. The National Institute of Mental Health, a US government agency, summarizes the best research by saying, “For mild to moderate depression, psychotherapy [counseling] may be the best option. However, for severe depression or for certain people, psychotherapy may not be enough. For teens, a combination of medication and psychotherapy may be the most effective approach to treating major depression and reducing the chances of it coming back.”
Many different styles of counseling are effective in treating depression, each targeting a different aspect of the problem: thoughts, behavior, relationships, feelings. Some focus more on practical changes, other focus on the internal experience. Elizabeth’s approach to treating depression pulls from all of these approaches, using the ones that are most appropriate, taking into account the client’s personality, life situation and stage of treatment.
Examples of things that might be the focus of counseling for depression:
For readers familiar with the different styles of psychotherapy, these different approaches draw from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Cognitive Behavioral (CBT), Solution Focused Therapy, Mindfulness, Interpersonal, and Emotionally Focused Therapy.
If you doubt whether any of these would work for you, please know that feeling discouraged and hopeless is actually a symptom of depression. If you are unhappy with your life, you are encouraged to take the first steps towards getting help and see what happens. While therapy takes time, Elizabeth’s experience has been that clients usually feel report a rising sense of hope within the first few sessions.
Many different styles of counseling are effective in treating depression, each targeting a different aspect of the problem: thoughts, behavior, relationships, feelings. Some focus more on practical changes, other focus on the internal experience. Elizabeth’s approach to treating depression pulls from all of these approaches, using the ones that are most appropriate, taking into account the client’s personality, life situation and stage of treatment.
Examples of things that might be the focus of counseling for depression:
- Taking care of the basics: Addressing the obstacles to basic of self care (diet, sleep, exercise, daily chores) helps your body will feel better.
- Practical problem solving: Together we brainstorm new ways to approach with familiar problems that open up new solutions.
- Recognizing mental filters: Patterns of thought filter your experience in ways that can reinforce the depression. Stepping out of the old pattern allows you to see the same situation in a different way.
- Mindfulness: Becoming more aware of the flow of thoughts and feelings helps you keep things in perspective and allows your wise mind to weigh in instead of being overwhelmed by your emotions.
- Experimenting with new behaviors: Small changes in behavior can have a powerful impact on your mood but the challenge is finding the right changes that work for you. So, we experiment. If something works, keep doing it. If it doesn't, we try something else.
- Changing your side of a relationship: Relationships are like a dance. Change your steps and the dance changes, even the partner doesn’t.
- Adding joy: Increase positive experiences and allowing the good things in your life to make you happy.
For readers familiar with the different styles of psychotherapy, these different approaches draw from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Cognitive Behavioral (CBT), Solution Focused Therapy, Mindfulness, Interpersonal, and Emotionally Focused Therapy.
If you doubt whether any of these would work for you, please know that feeling discouraged and hopeless is actually a symptom of depression. If you are unhappy with your life, you are encouraged to take the first steps towards getting help and see what happens. While therapy takes time, Elizabeth’s experience has been that clients usually feel report a rising sense of hope within the first few sessions.
How to Get Started
The next step is to contact Elizabeth and schedule a meeting. If you still aren’t sure, ask for a free discovery session. A discovery session is a short appointment where we meet in person and see if we have a good fit.
If depression is interfering with your life, help is available. Take a step towards recovery - make that first appointment.
If depression is interfering with your life, help is available. Take a step towards recovery - make that first appointment.