psychotherapy and depression

In the course of every life, we will experience losses or other situations or events that bring on feelings of sadness and grief. These feelings can be perfectly normal and appropriate, though painful and difficult to experience. It is often helpful to process these natural but difficult emotions with a therapist.

Serious depression is an experience that goes beyond appropriate sadness and adjustment to loss.

A lack of interest in daily activities, an inability to experience pleasure, feelings of worthlessness, trouble getting enough sleep or sleeping too much - experienced over an extended period of time - may indicate depression. You may feel that you don't want to get out of bed and face the world. More seriously, you may be experiencing recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.

Chronic or severe depression can be incapacitating, interfering with a person’s ability to function in day to day life.

Fortunately, depression is treatable. In some cases, medication may be helpful, even critical. In other cases, psychotherapy can be very effective. According to many studies, a combination of therapy and antidepressant medication may be called for.

It’s important to explore your experiences to determine whether you are feeling appropriate sadness or experiencing depression, and then to address the issues at hand.

Psychotherapy will help you address deep issues, move through difficult experiences more comfortably, and even uncover opportunities for personal growth related to these difficult experiences.

If you'd like to talk more about your experience and how we might address it, contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.