Depression Counselling
If you feel like you live under a heavy rain cloud and just want to hide – or if all your interest in life has disappeared – depression counselling can help you feel part of life again.
Depression symptoms: what leads someone to choose counselling?
We all get down at times, but if these painful, heavy feelings just carry on and won’t go away, it may be that you could benefit from seeing a counsellor. Perhaps you need depression counselling.
In fact depression affects at least one in ten of us over our life times. It can range from everyday ‘blues’ to feeling that you and your life are worthless and even contemplating suicide.
Making things worse, it’s common to feel no-one understands. Friends will tell you ‘it’s not the end of the world’ or to ‘snap out of it’. You may feel ashamed. You may feel guilty at being unable to meet even simple goals. You may feel worse that you can’t meet the expectations of others at work or at home.
There are a great range of feelings that people refer to when they describe their depression.
- Numbness.
- Feeling stuck.
- Unhappiness or even despair.
- Anger.
- Guilt and shame.
- Worthlessness.
- Loneliness and isolation.
- Hopelessness.
Causes of depression
There are various possible causes of depression. It is possible that there may be chemical imbalances which make it more likely for some people to develop depression. Genetics may also be a cause.
It is also common for life events and our reactions to them to trigger depression – events such as illness, trauma, our social circumstances, successes and failures, and relationships.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that depression counselling can help
In depression counselling you will be really listened to and you won’t be judged. You will be warmly supported to explore your life as it feels and seems to you.
There are many potential benefits of depression counselling. You can:
- feel the cloud lift – perhaps only for moments at first and then for longer.
- realise that you can be understood by someone else.
- become aware of patterns of thought that spiral you down into despair.
- have more hope and energy.
- feel more connected to others around you.
- feel less isolated and alone.
Depression counselling can prove to be an opportunity to take stock of your life, see what isn’t working for you and find solutions.
3 steps that you can take now
1. Acknowledge how you feel
If the feelings have gone on a long time you may not be aware how bad things are. It can help to write down persistent thoughts or feelings so that you can see them on paper in front of you.
2. Decide to get help
Making the decision is a brave first step.
You may feel ashamed or that nothing can change. The voice of hope may be very quiet or almost non-existent.
But I believe that seeing a professional counsellor for depression can really help. It is possible for things to change and for you to move on in your life.
For some people it helps to consult a doctor. They may offer you the choice of medication (such as antidepressants.). They can sometimes refer you for free short-term depression counselling.
However, if you feel you need more than this or if free sessions are not available, it’s important to find a counsellor who is not only knowledgeable and trained, but who you feel comfortable with. Having a good ‘therapeutic relationship’ with your counsellor is essential for depression counselling to work and for you to get the results you want.
3, Make contact
If you would like to discuss working with me to help your depression, do get in touch.
If you would like to research more about depression and the depression counselling options, have a look at the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy ‘It’s Good to Talk’ web-site. There are also good articles on depression and depression counselling in Counselling Directory.