Depression
Feeling sad, empty tired, guilty or hopeless. Nothing makes you happy?
Are you becoming isolated or lonely but can’t reach out to people?
Does life seem like more trouble than it’s worth?
We all have the blues sometimes. But if you have clinical depression, it’s more than just a down mood or sad feeling. Major depression is not an emotion. It is a major medical disorder that affects nearly 5-10% of adults in a given year. Over a lifetime you have a 20%, or one in five, chance of having an episode of depression. Women are twice as likely to get depression as men.
With depression, you may feel sad and hopeless, but you may not know why. Unlike sadness or the blues, depression is actually a biochemical disorder that affects just about every area of your life.
You may even have had self-destructive or suicidal thoughts. If this is the case, it is crucial that you seek help.
You might also find yourself having physical symptoms from depression such as:
Joint pain
Limb pain
Back pain
Gastrointestinal problems
Lowered immune response
Feeling heavy or slowed down
Often, these mysterious physical symptoms can be the first signs of depression.
But mostly, with depression, you just don’t feel like yourself. You may feel like you’re covered with a wet blanket, or that you’re removed from reality, that nothing seems real, or that you don’t even seem real. Normal pleasure and joy become elusive.
The good news is that Major Depression is very treatable! With the right therapy, and the right therapist, you can overcome depression and live the life you were meant to live!
At Counseling Services of Portland, our contracted therapists are skilled in diagnosing and treating all types of depression. You will learn to identify the “stinking thinking” that keeps you depressed and you will learn skills to manage and eliminate your depression. You will learn to care for and be loving toward yourself. Your therapist will support your efforts to feel better, and will help you process and resolve issues that keep you stuck. And, most importantly, you will gain confidence in your ability to manage your moods. Sometimes medication is can be helpful, and your therapist will help you determine whether a medication evaluation is in order.
The sooner you address your depression, the sooner you can resolve it.
