Depression
If you’re depressed, you have fallen out of contact with yourself, others, and the world. Life has been flattened, and you live it as if from behind a screen. The things that used to give you joy and meaning no longer do, and you struggle to make sense of how and why you fell.
You no longer sleep regular hours. It’s either too much or too little. Sometimes your mood actually takes on the quality of physical pain: headaches, restless agitation, stomach cramps, tired and sore muscles etc. Even though you are tired, lethargic and flat, your mind races. You tell yourself stories of your own worthlessness, find reasons why you can’t be helped, and fail to imagine things ever getting better. Making decisions has become difficult too, because there is a fog in your mind which has taken the clarity and depth out of your world. Increasingly, your mind is occupied with thoughts of loss and failure, perhaps even death.
“Depression is the flaw in love. To be creatures who love, we must be creatures who despair at what we lose, and depression is the mechanism of that despair”
Am I depressed?
This is a question not easily answered. There is no quick and definitive test for depression. But if you resonate with the above description, you probably want to consider seeking help. You must evaluate your own experience. To put it simply: if you feel sad and/or bad most of the time for no reason, you’re probably depressed. If you are completely disabled by these symptoms, and are unable to function socially and psychologically, you are almost definitely depressed.
How we can help…
There are similarities and common features between people’s experience of depression. However, the reasons for your depression, the way it manifests and the impact it has on your life are all unique to you. With this understanding we offer a model of treatment which is focused on the uniqueness of your experience. Our main goal is to understand that experience. In the context of a caring therapeutic relationship, we work toward goals that work for you. We meet you where you are, offering support in whatever way you need.
Depression is usually the result of “stress-pileup”. For this reason we take a developmental approach, which seeks to understand the ways your life has led up to your depression, and what stresses have contributed. With this understanding, you will be in a better position to understand your current situation, and you will have more compassion for yourself.
Depression is a difficult problem, and we do not pretend otherwise. We do not simply give advice on how to “think positively”, because we understand that the things you need to do to recover from depression are made difficult by the symptoms of depression! You may even know exactly what you need to do, but you can’t quite get there. We will help you get there; slowly, carefully, safely.