Why Depression Counseling Is Crucial to Help You Regain Control of Your Life

What we call “depression” is much more than temporarily feeling down or blue. It’s also more than sadness or grief during very difficult times.

Major Depressive Disorder is a common, psychological problem with many variations and factors involved.

One of the most frightening features of depression is a sense of your life being out of your control. For example, you might feel overwhelmed by everyday decisions, no matter how big or small, which can lead to a sense that events are spiraling out-of-hand. Or, you may feel that you lack the energy or interest to deal with even the most routine demands of life, like eating or showering.

An added dimension (and danger) is when you begin withdrawing from friends and family, and seeking relief by isolating yourself.

In times like this, depression counseling becomes crucial.

Losing Control – Bit by Bit

According to psychologists, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) generally causes at least five of the following symptoms once a day for more than two weeks:

• Sudden weight loss or gain
• Extreme restlessness
• Chronic sadness and irritability
• Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
• A noticeable shift in sleep patterns
• Fatigue, exhaustion, low energy, feeling depleted
• Inability to focus, concentrate, or make decisions
• Feelings of guilt, shame, and worthlessness—often disproportionately to the cause
• Daily thoughts of self-harm, death, or suicide

What may jump out at you while reading that list is the concept of control—or even more so, the loss of control.

Bit by bit, depression can “take away” your joy, calm, mental powers, physical strength, self-worth, and sometimes even your will to live. In such a perilous state, the very basics of living can appear out of your grasp.

This may leave you wondering: Is help even possible? How in the world did you get here?

Questions like this deserve an answer. They demand an answer!

But they’re difficult to grapple with alone. Hence, it’s crucial that you consider therapy to help you find the answers—in particular, depression counseling.

What Is Depression Counseling?

As the name implies, depression counseling is a specific style of therapy geared toward the person with depression.

It’s an empathetic approach that initially distinguishes clinical depression from other possible causes and conditions. You will commence therapy after these basic but essential assessments. And from there, other crucial elements are factored in.

For instance, counseling may grow from a foundation like cognitive-behavior therapy, interpersonal therapy, or a shorter solution-based approach. Among other things, these treatment methods all share the common goal of empowering patients to take back the wheel in their life and begin choosing their own directions.

How Depression Counseling Helps You Regain Control

Like any form of therapy, depression counseling can offer an immediate sense of relief simply because it represents a large step towards addressing a serious problem. You took back some control simply by starting!

Weekly sessions with a trusted psychologist represent a safe space where you can be heard, understood, validated, and appreciated. Your therapy may involve some or many of the following methods and suggestions:

• Lifestyle changes in the realm of diet, exercise, stress management, and more
• Therapy blended with medication
• Addressing and adapting thought patterns as they related to mood
• Developing a support system
• Recognizing triggers
• Journaling
• Taking tech breaks (especially from social media)

MDD presents itself in countless unique ways. Hence you’ll need a counselor who treats the person as much as—or more than—just the diagnosis. Being reminded that you can get help and can recover starts the important shift of regaining control of your life.

The First Step Towards Depression Counseling

The first step is probably the hardest. It is the moment when you have to identify and recognize your need for help and your ability to get it soon. As mentioned above, the act of scheduling an appointment is your first step of taking control.

While depression tells you stories about you not being worthy of such control, depression counseling helps you rewrite such narratives.

For more information about depression therapy/counseling, please click HERE.