Depression

If you've been looking for a therapist for depression, you probably won't be surprised to learn that depression is one of the most common mental health issues in the world. Although depression can begin in childhood or in older adulthood, it typically begins in one's late 20s. In a single year, about 12 million people in the U. S. experience depression.

Counselors view depression as a mind/body disorder because depression often occurs in conjunction with a physical illness that comes before or after or causes the depressive episode. In fact, depressed people are more likely than others to visit their doctors for their physical health. Because depression influences how you feel physically and emotionally, it can change both your behavior and thinking.

In addition to the relationship between depression and physical illness, some mental conditions are also likely to coexist with depression, especially certain anxiety disorders. The good news is that psychotherapy for depression, even severe depression, may help you feel better within weeks. If you have a physical illness in addition to depression, psychotherapy will likely enhance the treatment you're receiving for your physical illness as well.

Symptoms of Depression
Your psychotherapist will ask about the following symptoms:
• Feelings of persistent sadness, guilt, hopelessness, or loss of self-worth
• Changes in sleep patterns/sleeping more or less than usual
• Changes in appetite and weight gain or loss
• Irritability, restlessness, or anxiety
• Loss of interest in sex
• Loss of interest in daily or previously pleasurable activities
• Unexplained physical symptoms and loss of energy
• Thinking difficulties, such as difficulty concentrating or making decisions
• Thoughts of death or suicide

Certain people are at higher risk for depression. Your therapist may ask you about specific risk factors, including having biological relatives with the disorder, experiencing a recent loss or other stressful event, having family members who have taken their own lives, having experienced a recent serious illness, having recently given birth, and having had a depressed mood as a child. Personality traits associated with depression include having low self-esteem and being pessimistic, dependent, or self-critical. Substance abuse is another risk factor.

Treatment for Depression
Psychotherapy and medication are standard treatments for depression. In fact, many studies suggest that a combination of medication and psychotherapy is one of the most effective treatments for depression. Some people prefer either medication or psychotherapy for their depression. Your therapist will talk to you about this choice and help you make a decision.

Specific approaches to psychotherapy for depression vary, depending on the psychotherapist's background and education as well as the client's situation, support system, personality, motivation, and type of depression. One form of psychotherapy for depression is cognitive-behavioral therapy. This approach helps people replace self-destructive thinking patterns with those that are more realistic and helpful. Another approach is psychodynamic or interpersonal psychotherapy, which helps individuals recognize the effect of past experiences and relationships on present emotions and behaviors. Your therapist may also suggest EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). Holistic treatments such as exercise, mindfulness, acupuncture, massage therapy, and yoga can support other forms of treatment.