One of the most painful experiences in life is being depressed. Suffering from depression is a very dark place to be, with deep feelings of sadness, guilt, worthlessness, hopelessness, and despair. Nothing sounds good, looks good, tastes good, or feels good. The thrill of life is gone. Although depression is very common and effects most people at least once in their lifetime, people often feel a lot of shame that they can’t get themselves out of the depression. This combination of shame, depression, helplessness and hopelessness often delays someone seeking the help they need.

If left untreated, depression can become debilitating. Even small tasks like taking a shower are exhausting and overwhelming. Performance at work or school suffers. Things are not getting done at home. Relationships are strained. Health deteriorates. And before long, it feels like life is just not worth living. This can lead to self-destruction, self-harm, and even suicide attempts.

I provide a safe, warm, and compassionate place to work through your depression and learn new skills to ameliorate your symptoms and prevent depression from affecting you in the future. I will help you feel seen, heard, and understood. I will help you understand the factors leading to your depression and create a roadmap for you to get better.

I have helped 1K+ people recover from depression. Don’t delay. Call me today.

Depression affects people differently. Here are some signs to be on the lookout for:

Emotional Disturbances

Depression is characterized by disturbances in one’s emotions. From deep feelings of sadness, to being tense and irritable to having no emotions at all and feeling numb. While depressed, emotions can also change so quickly that you can feel like you’re on an emotional rollercoaster. Depression also causes feelings of guilt, shame, worthlessness, helplessness, and hopelessness. These feelings can prevent or delay help-seeking for depression.

Physical Manifestations of Depression

Depression is also marked by fatigue, sleep disturbances, and eating disturbances. Sometimes these physical symptoms are what cause people to seek therapy or medical care, not knowing that they are actually suffering from depression.

Cognitive Problems

Depression often leads to problems with concentration and feeling like you’re in a fog. Thoughts themselves are often very negative and irrational. There is often a lot of self-loathing. Ruminating about problems is also common problem with depression. Sometimes depression gets so bad that there are delusions (fixed false beliefs) and hallucinations (seeing, hearing, tasting, and feeling things that are not there). These cognitive problems are not just symptoms of depression – they actually make depression worse.

Suicidal Thoughts

People suffering from depression usually think a lot about their own death and dying. If they’ve lost hope in their ability to get better or for their lives to turn around, they may contemplate or attempt suicide.

Suicidal thoughts often stem from unbearable emotional pain and the desire to stop the suffering. They want an exit door. In therapy, our focus is to treat the source of that unbearable pain.

Depression is a very treatable condition.

Evidence-based treatment for depression includes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), behavior therapy, mindfulness informed therapy, and eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR). The benefits of therapy can be enhanced with medication, herbal supplements, exercise, and gratitude mediations.

If you or someone you love suffers from depression, seek help now. Call me for a free consultation.