Scranton, PA Depression and Anxiety—Therapy and Counseling

Two of the most diagnosed mental illnesses in the US are depression and anxiety. They are widespread and common, and yet, myths about them persist. Anyone who has been diagnosed with either may have also heard from friends and family members things like…

“Come to a yoga class with me. It has really helped me feel more steady.”

“Maybe get a good night’s sleep. Life is so much harder when you are tired. You will feel better in the morning.”

“Are you getting fresh air and sunshine? My friend started walking outside every day, and that really helped.”

“Have you tried relaxation and breathing techniques? When you are feeling overwhelmed, try breathing in and out to a four-count.”

Such advice is usually given with sincere and earnest motives to help. However, it is rarely the holistic care that people need to recover from an anxiety or depressive disorder. As with any serious illness, people with anxiety and/or depression may need to work with a mental health professional to find the diagnosis and treatment they need.

Thriveworks Scranton offers counseling for anxiety and depression, and our staff understands what it takes to fight them and their symptoms. Our therapists and counselors have a firm grasp upon what treatments may relieve which symptoms. They have work with many clients and helped them find relief.

Anxiety and Depressive Disorders

About 1 in 6 adults in the United States will develop a depressive disorder in their lifetime, and about 1 in 4 will develop an anxiety disorder. Anxiety and depression are separate mental illnesses, but they are often associated because they often co-occur. As much as half of people with an anxiety diagnosis will also develop a form of depression. The following outlines symptoms for each.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) gives several types of anxiety disorders, and working with a mental health professional to find the right diagnosis is often paramount for healing. The following outlines Generalized Anxiety Disorder DSM-5 300.02 (F41.1), what is most commonly called anxiety:

Feelings of intense anxiety and worry that persist for a minimum of six months and are experienced on most days.
Trouble controlling the worry and anxiety.
Also experiencing at least three of these symptoms (for children with anxiety, they may only experience one):
• Restlessness.
• Difficulty concentrating.
• Fatigue.
• Difficulty staying on task.
• Muscle tension.
• Irritability.
• Sleep disturbances (insomnia or hypersomnia).
• The severity and longevity of these symptoms will disrupt one’s daily personal and/or professional life.
• These symptoms cannot be attributable to another mental illness or a substance to be diagnosed as Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

“Depression is the most unpleasant thing I have ever experienced. . .
It is that absence of being able to envisage that
you will ever be cheerful again. The absence of hope.”
– J. K. Rowling

J. K. Rowling famously used the Dementors in Harry Potter as representations of depression. These are creatures that suck all the happiness out of life and out of anyone unfortunate enough to be near their powers. The DSM-5 also describes Major Depressive Disorder, the clinical term for what most people simply call depression.

When diagnosing Major Depressive Disorder, therapists will depend heavily upon clients self-reporting their experiences. Much of depression’s symptoms are relative to an individual’s normal experiences. For example, some people experienced an increase an appetite while others experience a decreased appetite. What individuals experienced before depression symptoms began to show themselves is an important benchmark to establish.

The DSM-5 outlines Major Depressive Disorder as experiencing at least five of the following symptoms for a period of two weeks and for most of the day. Major Depressive Disorder can last for several months, and its symptoms often upset an individual’s professional and personal life:

• Difficult and strong emotions like sadness, worthlessness, emptiness, hopelessness, self-hatred, guilt, or despair.
• Lost pleasure in activities and relationships that were once enjoyable.
• Fluctuations in weight (loss or gain).
• Shifts in appetite (loss or gain).
• Disturbed patterns of sleep (e.g., hypersomnia or insomnia).
• Modifications in one’s activity levels.
• Fatigue.
• Difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly.
• Suicide idealization or thoughts about death.

Depression or Anxiety Treatment at Thriveworks Scranton, PA

There are no silver bullets or quick-fixes for healing from anxiety and depression, but there are proven treatments that take commitment and often the supervision of a mental health professional. Because anxiety and depression can affect people’s minds and body, a holistic approach to recovery is often needed. Therapists often work with clients to find the right combination of talk-based therapy and pharmacological therapy. An example of a talk-based therapy is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that seeks to replace negative, untrue thinking patterns with positive, true one. Some medications, such as, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) or a serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), may reduce an individual’s symptoms so that the talk-based therapy can be more effective. A mental health professional may be able to help individuals find the right treatment plan that addresses their particular needs.

When you are ready to speak to a therapist at Thriveworks Scranton about your anxiety or depression, our staff is ready. When you call our office, you may have your first appointment within 24 hours. We accept many different insurance plans, and we offer evening and weekend appointments.

Let’s get started. Contact Thriveworks Scranton today.