Counselling & Psychotherapy

Counselling London, Depression Help, Depression Treatment, Depression Symptoms, Counsellor London
Depression

Depression There is a misleading tendency to use the word depression in men & women as a catch-all term for despondency, apathy, lethargy, sadness, sorrow, unhappiness, boredom, mood dips, confusion, feeling low, sad, morose, down, sombre, miserable, unmotivated, stuck in a rut or simply not enjoying things the way we used to. Some of us may mistake our depression for sadness & disappointment. For others their depression casts a long shadow over them. So I am interested in exploring with you exactly what it is you are experiencing, how it's like for you, alongside supporting you in finding your own way through depression.

Depression is something that should be welcomed because it's a sign that something needs to change. I think, prior to all this, I'd been stuck in an unhelpful pattern for my entire life. Dorothy Rowe – male & female depression

FeeIing Stuck The above quote can seem strange & unwelcome to us if we are feeling depressed, yet often our depression is a signal or symptom – an indication of something that needs paying attention to. Some of us may have a tendency to sink into our feeIings, remaining lost or stuck, as depression permeates our world, as if this is our only identity. This can also affect our imagination & creativity. We all hold on to things which no longer work and letting go may be a challenge for some.

Our Inner World We may have reached a stage when we are simply getting by & have lost our spark. Despondency may wash over us. Despite being in the company of others, we can be alone, isolated & trapped, as if we are cocooned or in a prison. Dark inside & outside, storm clouds are gathering and we struggle to see the horizon, as we seek depression help, or depression treatment.

Fear can be a familiar companion. Hope can seem far off in the distance. We can feel helpless, frightened, despairing, guilty, ashamed, selfblaming, angry, bitter, and have difficulties concentrating or making decisions. We can find it hard to comfort ourseIf, receive comfort from another or reach out to others to comfort them. Some may believe that happiness is a permanent state, and struggle to fully live in its absence. What makes some people happy doesn't work for others, and the therapy can explore with you how you emotionally respond when you are not happy.

Other Beliefs We may defer our happiness, waiting for the right moment which never seems to arrive, finding it hard to give us permission to be happy. We may also believe that we can't be happy or joyful if:

• Something bad is happening in our Iife & everything is not how we want it right now
• Someone around us is in a bad mood
• We let go, because others (or indeed us) critically judge us
• We have forgotten or don't know how to be happy anymore

Change Given certain circumstances all of us can experience depression or breakdown as our bodies collapse & we loose our vitality and we may seek depression help or depression treatment. We all have weak spots and depression can be a normal & appropriate reaction to events in the world. Starkness & bleakness can visit us all. Yet when we get stuck in it, it may be a sign that something needs to change.

Action does not always bring happiness. But there is no happiness without action. Benjamin Disraeli

Universal Sadness Many experiences can cause us sadness:

• Being with the person we want to connect with, but can't
• Personal grief & loss through someone dying, loss of financial security, a job, loss of health or loss of face through someone's betrayal, etc.
• Global grief, e.g. rampant consumerism, living with the uncertainty of what's happening to the planet, witnessing greed which harms other people & the planet, destroying what we care about & lack of action, climate change, species depletion, green issues, ecopsychology, global change of ecosystem, animal cruelty,
• Witnessing other people's pain & loss through natural disasters or wars

Wounded Sadness This sadness can be described as the sadness we can get hooked into, because we struggle to take responsibility & personal care for managing it. We can do anything to avoid this. Some of us may hope that others take care of us (see Caretaking - Co-dependency (Co-Dependence)). We can be convinced that others (bad luck or even god) are causing it.

Depression Symptoms There are many reasons & theories for depression. Depression can be associated or linked with:

• Current events
• Addictions
• Beliefs, e.g. believing we can only be happy under certain conditions
• Unmet expectations
• Anxiety, anger (keeping a lid on it until sometimes exploding)
• Being bored or unfulfilled
• Conclusions we have drawn in childhood, e.g. we are bad or unacceptable
• Inhibiting past issues
• The impact of past experiences, e.g. abuse
• Unhappy or unmotivated at home or work
• The way we think & interpret, cope & plan
• Negative, distortive or irrational thoughts
• Persisting questioning "Should I be happy?"
• Endlessly searching for happiness
• Over-analysing – stuck in our head
• Debt
• Being stuck or out of control
• Poor health
• Stress or tiredness
• Sleep issues
• Lacking rest
• Excessive internet use
• Difficulties accepting "what is" or letting go
• Seeking permission to fully live
• Fear of breaking down
• Mulling over past events, or anxious about the future
• Difficulties living in the present, here & now moment
• Emotions kept down - De-pressed feeIings held in
• Envy & jealousy
• Lack of affectionate sexual contact
• Lost vitality
• Elusive hope
• Tireless search for perfectionism
• Overly reliant on routine
• Procrastination
• Confidence & esteem
• Difficulties coping with suffering, loss or grief
• Impact of our history
• Pessimism, which can be understandable in times of crisis or what is happening in the world
• Grieving a stage of our Iife (see also Living To Our Full Potential)
• Difficulties mourning
• Overwhelmed & confused about existential issues (for details see Living To Our Full Potential)
• Lack of meaning or purpose (see also Living To Our Full Potential)
• Inadequate physical activity
• Lack of interest sharing
• Lack of social interaction, community involvement
• Cynicism or closed heart
• Lack of kindness, altruism
• Self-Abandonment
• Unmet basic needs
• Our existential angst
• Our unconscious
• Some physiological, genetic factors & chemical imbalances

Our Perception We can get used to training us in seeing what we want to see. Our world can seem stark & dark in an inertia, that it can be hard to experience or appreciate, the small things in front of us, moment by moment & our own intrinsic worth. Sometimes we may catch ourseIves feeIing OK or even happy, but struggle what to do with it, or even believe it. These issues can be explored in counselling & psychotherapy.

The secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings than endings. David Weinbaum