Depression

Do you feel sad for long periods of time? Is it difficult to complete normal day-to-day activities? Have you lost interest in your life? You may be depressed.

Depression causes many emotional, cognitive and physical symptoms, only a few of which are

• sadness
• hopelessness
• anxiety
• anger and irritability
• persistent thoughts of death or suicide
• difficulty concentrating or making decisions
• restlessness
• sleep problems (not sleeping or sleeping too much)
• weight problems (losing weight or gaining weight due to appetite changes)
• lack of energy
• loss of pleasure in regular activities (e.g., hobbies, sex, sport, etc.)
• unresolved body pains and aches.

Some people are fortunate to experience only one episode of depression in their lifetimes, while others face recurrent bouts.

In terms of treatment, some clients opt for medication from a psychiatrist along with counselling, and others prefer only counselling. As a counsellor, I respect my clients’ choices and support them either way.

As with my approach towards anxiety treatment, we work first on simple and practical strategies to improve symptoms. This allows clients to regain energy before we begin working deeper on an emotional level.