Depression

Depression is commonly suffered and widely misunderstood. It can take many forms and be expressed in many different ways for different people. Typically, we tend to think of depression as a general malaise or down feeling. However, clinical depression is usually more severe, characterized by pervasive feelings of sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness, guilt, decreased energy, and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide, among others. Major depression also can be signified by a loss of appetite or weight, lack of sleep, decreased energy, and difficulty concentrating. Some people experience these symptoms in different ways, that might include restlessness, anxiousness, and/or anger. A diagnosis of depression depends on the severity of symptoms and the length of time they last, together with considerations of circumstances and associated features.

Treatment of depression utilizes a combination of traditional psychodynamic therapy and cognitive behavioral therapies. What this means is that through an exploration of a client’s history, origins of troubling issues are revealed. Through gaining insight, resulting internal conflicts are eased. Once the sources of harmful behaviors are identified and begin to ease, further work is done to specifically change behavior in the present through directed planning and focused exercises.