Best Counseling For Depression
According to the WHO, 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression. But the good news is that it is a condition that can be treated!
Depression is characterized by persistently overwhelming emotions of extreme sadness and hopelessness. Your body and mind struggle to operate regularly, which affects your ability to focus, eat, and sleep cycles. Even enjoyable hobbies eventually get tedious. Here, hopelessness, helplessness, and self-blame may become persistent battles for you. Despite your best efforts, you are unable to get rid of these emotions. It feels like you’re stuck in a never-ending depressing storm with no obvious way out and a way to find happiness or serenity. If these difficulties become a daily battle for you for a minimum of two weeks, it may indicate that you are struggling with depression.
There are several theories on the origins of depression, making it a complicated problem. Some individuals who experience depression are not entirely aware of the reasons behind their feelings. Experts think that several factors might contribute to depression. It might be the result of variations in the chemical makeup of your brain or the result of events from your early life or genetics. Negative thinking or unhelpful behaviors might also be a factor for certain people. Relationship issues may also exacerbate the situation.
Though facts support all of these theories we’re still unsure of how precisely they fit together. Comprehending depression entails examining all aspects of your life including your mental state, your body, and other experiences. Every component including events in your life or the chemistry of your brain, contributes to the overall picture of depression.
Depression counselling will help you understand your emotions and develop coping strategies. Through this, you’ll get stronger and more prepared to face the problems of depression.
Signs and Symptoms of Depression
Identifying signs of depression is essential for timely intervention and support. Here are signs that you can use as a checklist to detect them:
You are finding yourself not being excited about activities that once interested you. You are feeling fatigued. You either sleep too much or sleep too little causing disruptions in your sleeping patterns.You are feeling restless which leads to difficulty in sitting still. Otherwise, you are feeling incredibly slow which makes even easy chores seem difficult to do You are finding it very challenging to make decisions. You tend to focus a lot on the mistakes you make and believe that things are your fault even when they aren’t. Blaming yourself all the time makes you feel guilty constantly.
You might find your eating habits changing, either eating too much or too little. You continuously feel that you’re not good enough no matter what you do leading to a sense of worthlessness. The most significant sign of depression is experiencing suicidal thoughts. It can be tough. If you’re feeling this way, reach out for help. You’re not alone. Talk to someone you trust or seek professional support. If it lasts more than a couple of weeks, consider seeing a mental health professional. There’s hope and help available to make things better.
Types of Depression
There are different types of depression and certain symptoms differentiate one from the rest.
- Major Depressive Disorder: Includes a notable low mood and drop in pleasures and interests. This lasts for two weeks or more.
- Dysthymic Disorder: It is similar to major depression but less severe. It usually lasts longer and is chronic. Symptoms of depression often last for a minimum of two years.
- Bipolar Disorder: In this disorder, moods fluctuate between irrational highs and extreme lows. These irrational highs are called mania. Although individuals with mania may seem quite happy and cheerful, these episodes also involve less sleep, occasionally losing touch with reality and there is a lack of sound judgment. BetterLYF has the best therapists for depression to guide you on how to manage bipolar disorder.
- Seasonal affective disorder: Individuals who suffer from this kind of melancholy typically feel down throughout the fall and winter. Other unusual signs include heaviness in the arms and legs, increased hunger, increased urge for sleep, and irritability. They also have a craving for carbohydrates.
- Psychotic Depression: It presents a fusion of major depressive symptoms intertwined with psychosis which include hallucinations and delusions. It is important to take up therapy sessions in case of this kind of depression to prevent harm to oneself or others.
- Peripartum (Postpartum) Depression: This type of depression involves feeling very sad or low after having a baby, sometimes lasting for weeks or even months. It’s common and it can be effectively treated with therapy. You can seek support from a therapist either individually or with your partner.
- Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: This type of depression involves experiencing changes in mood like anger, anxiety, bloating, fatigue food cravings, guilt, sadness, tearfulness, withdrawal, irritation, etc a week before their period. This occurs every month
