Depression Treatment: Counseling
When To Seek Help
A range of emotions are a normal part of the human experience. Most people experience sadness, negativity, irritability, and/or loss of energy or interest at different times in their lives. Our emotions give us important data about our lived experience.
What is "Normal"
Consider seeking help if the sadness, negativity, irritability,
fatigue, loss of interest, or host of other related symptoms:
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becomes overwhelming or unmanageable,
- begins occurring more days than not,
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does not go away or gets worse over time,
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prevents you from doing things you would normally do or desire to do,
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prevents you from performing at your best, or
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you begin having or have increased suicidal thoughts (seek help immediately!).
If any of the above is occurring, it is likely that you are developing or have already developed one or more forms of clinical depression. Read more about clinical depression disorders.
Treatment
Depression is very treatable! To best address clinical depression, seek mental health counseling.
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Through therapy, we can work together to:
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determine the underlying causes of the depression,
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address the source(s),
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build skills to reduce depressive thoughts using Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (an evidenced-based treatment), and
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learn stress management, relaxation, and mindfulness skills.
With effective counseling, you will achieve lasting effects rather than "quick fixes."
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Medication may be used as an adjunct to therapy and could be used short-term or longer-term. Medication can help reduce day-to-day depression. Medication could also help your counseling process be more effective, as it may allow you to make progress more quickly. If necessary and/or desired, I can refer you to local psychiatrists who can assess the appropriateness for anti-depressant medication.