Depression is one of
the most common experiences for which people access therapy, but it
is also an illness that causes a lot of confusion for many people.
Here are the common
symptoms of depression:
-
Disturbed sleep
-
Changes to
appetite
-
Lack of energy or
motivation
-
Irritability and
intolerance
-
Feelings of guilt
-
Difficulty
concentrating and reduced memory
-
Lack of enjoyment
of previously enjoyable activities
What is the
difference between “depression” and just feeling “down?
What we call
“clinical depression” or that type of depression that needs to be
treated medically in conjunction with other forms of treatment such
as therapy, is characterized as such based on a couple of factors:
Intensity and
Duration
Intensity
refers to the severity of the symptoms, the more severe or intense,
the more serious the depressive state – are symptoms intense enough
to interfere with “normal” every day functioning?
And
Duration
refers to how long the symptoms have been present – diagnosis of
clinical depression means that symptoms have been evident for at
least two weeks.
If you think that you
might be suffering from clinical depression, it is important to see
your family doctor to discuss your symptoms with her and to rule out
any other possible medical issues.
Once medical reasons
have been ruled out, working with a therapist in conjunction with
your doctor would be helpful.
If you think that you
might be suffering from mild depression or just feeling down, there
are things you can do to try and help yourself to feel better.
-
Try to identify
the triggers for your current feelings – are your feelings a
reaction to a loss or change in your life, are you having
financial worries or work issues?
-
Once you have
identified the trigger problems, you can then begin to work out
strategies to deal with these problems. Action helps to defeat
depression, which can paralyze us into inactivity. If you are
having difficulty thinking of strategies, talk to a trusted
friend, a family member or a professional counselor for ideas.
-
Try to maintain
routine activities and any activities that you have previously
found to be pleasurable – when we are feeling down, we have a
tendency to want to withdraw and hide – sometimes when we push
ourselves to participate in things that we have previously
enjoyed, we can find the distraction to be helpful in providing
some relief from our problems, and making available to us a
return to clearer thinking.
-
Talk to people
about how you are feeling, and try to surround yourself with
positive people.
-
Identify negative
thinking patterns and work at changing them. Our feelings are
very much connected to our thoughts – if you pay attention, you
will find that when you are feeling badly, you are also thinking
a lot of negative thoughts. Try and catch yourself in these
negative thoughts and challenge them with more reasonable and
positive ones. Again, if you are having trouble changing your
thinking, this is when a therapist can be very helpful to you.
-
Keep moving. It
has been proven in many studies that physical exercise can
alleviate symptoms of depression, even if it is as simple as a
brisk walk every day.
-
Make sure your
physical needs are being attended to – eat healthy foods and try
stick to a regular sleep routine.
It may not be easy,
but you can overcome these difficult feelings by putting some energy
into your own wellness, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
By: Lynda Stockwell
M.S.W., R.S.W.
Our offices for Hypnosis services are
located in south Mississauga and we are conveniently located in the
GTA area within one hour distance from: Brampton, Milton,
Oakville, Hamilton, Burlington, Caledon, Georgetown, Orangeville,
King City, Vaughn, Markham, Newmarket, Nobleton, North York,
Toronto, Unionville, and Woodbridge.