Get back to a happier place with depression counseling

Our counselors can help you manage your depression and other issues in therapy, while our psychiatrists can treat your depression and other mental health conditions (especially in severe or persistent cases) with medication. Sometimes, the most effective treatment is a combination of both — our providers work together to offer comprehensive care that meets your needs.

Major depressive disorder is a mood disorder, characterized by severe and persistent sadness. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 264 million people worldwide live with major depression. And 17.3 million of those are US adults.

It affects all ages, genders, races, nationalities, and occupations. It can hit once out of the blue, appear intermittently, or last a lifetime. It can be incredibly debilitating for individuals suffering with the illness, as well as difficult for those around them.

There are few things as frightening as going through a major depressive episode for the first time. Fortunately, feelings of depression will almost always pass. In fact, depression is one of the most treatable mental illnesses we know of and the vast majority of people who experience depression will recover fully.

If, right now, you’re reading this and you feel hopeless, remember: You can learn to manage your depression and other mental health problems with the help of a professional.

Signs and symptoms of depression include a depressed mood, loss of interest, fatigue, and feelings of worthlessness. In order to be diagnosed with major depression (one of the most common forms of depression), the individual must meet the diagnostic criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

Five or more of the symptoms listed must be present within the same two-week period and the individual must present a noticeable change in daily functioning. The symptoms must also not be clearly caused by another medical condition or substance:

• Depressed mood, most of the day, nearly every day, as indicated by either subjective report (e.g., feelings of sadness, emptiness, hopelessness) or observation from others (e.g., appears tearful). Note: In children and adolescents, this can be an irritable mood.
• Loss of interest or pleasure in all or most activities throughout the day, nearly every day, as indicated by subjective or objective accounts.
• Significant weight loss or weight gain (e.g., a change of more than 5% of his or her body weight in a month, or a decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day). Note: In children, consider failure to make expected weight gain.
• Insomnia, hypersomnia, or other sleep disturbances nearly every day.
• Psychomotor agitation nearly every day. This is observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down).
• Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day.
• Feelings of worthlessness or excessive/inappropriate guilt (which may be delusional) nearly every day.
• Diminished ability to think, concentrate, or make decisions nearly every day as self-reported or observed objectively.
• Recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying), recurrent suicidal ideation about a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call 911 or visit the closest emergency room.

These symptoms can feel frightening. Fortunately, there are mental health services that can help you learn to manage these symptoms and resolve your feelings of depression.

It isn’t always possible to determine the exact cause of one’s depression. The following, however, are a few potential explanations for the development of the disease:

1. Genetics

If your parents or siblings suffer from depression, your risk of developing it is two or three times greater than the average person. And that’s not because your family “brings you down.” A family history of depression is like a family history of alcoholism or heart disease: It’s a warning to take care of yourself and to avoid physical and emotional triggers.

2. Temperament 

It’s possible that your depression stems from something called negative affectivity (NA), which pertains to how you experience negative emotions and poor self-perception. Those with high levels of NA appear more likely to develop depressive episodes in response to stressful life events. On the other hand, those with low levels of NA may be generally more content regardless of external stimuli.

3. Environment

Your environment can also play a part in developing depression. Traumatic events and situations, depending on the individual, have been known to incite major depressive episodes. A childhood trauma, the loss of a loved one, or a troublesome work atmosphere are just a few examples of stressors that may lead to depression.

4. Course Modifiers 

Simply put, a course modifier is something that alters the course of a disease. According to the DSM, “essentially all major non-mood disorders increase the risk of an individual developing depression.” Anxiety, substance abuse, and borderline personality disorders are potential course modifiers that can lead to major depressive symptoms, as can chronic or debilitating medical issues.

If you pursue depression counseling, your therapist will likely want to talk about…

• Your medical history
• Potential causes of your depression
• Your specific depression symptoms
• Your needs and goals for treatment

Once your therapist gathers all of this information, they can create the most effective treatment plan for you. This plan might include weekly sessions with one’s counselor and/or medication.

That said, there are common tools used in depression counseling, as the end goal is to help the individual live a happier, healthier life. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a form of talk therapy that can treat both anxiety and depression. This approach targets an individual’s negative thoughts.