Depression
Blue Flower Psychology
What is Depression?
Everybody feels depressed sometimes, but depression as a mental illness is the condition of feeling depressed, sad, or down for a majority of the time over at least a month. Depression is different to feeling sad. It’s a feeling of worthlessness, hopelessness, and sometimes even a ‘numbness’. If depression is left untreated, it can cause issues in relationships, your personal life, and your overall health.
Depression is one of the most prevalent mental illnesses in Australia. Despite the isolating feelings that come with depression, you are not alone.
Signs & Symptoms
Depression can show different signs and symptoms in different individuals. There are physical signs: exhaustion and tiredness, frequent sickness, or generally feeling “run down”. You might begin sleeping too much or little, or experience changes in your appetite and weight. Behavioural signs of depression are: trouble with concentration, trouble getting work done, or a loss of interest in seeing friends, family, or activities you enjoy.
You might experience feelings of:
- Sadness
- Irritability
- Frustration
- Lack of confidence
- Disappointment
- Guilt
How We Can Help
There are three pillars to depression: self, situation, and future. These main elements can lead to unhelpful thoughts like: “I’m useless”, “My situation is hopeless”, and “This will never get any better”. Depression counselling works to mitigate these feelings and educate you on how you can move forward, how you can cope day-to-day, and hopefully, succeed moving forward.
Using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), we can target and challenge negative or distorted thinking patterns. CBT will equip you with techniques and processes that challenge unhelpful thoughts, attitudes, or beliefs you may be carrying. We will assist you to make lifestyle changes to break the cycle of depression. We’ll do this by working with you on the key ingredients to a healthy lifestyle, for your mental wellbeing.
These processes help you lift your mood, resulting in improvements in your lifestyle, social life, and personal relationships, as well as your daily coping. Effective psychology and professional counselling for your depression can help you experience more normal, healthy thinking patterns. Healthier thinking patterns will encourage appropriate and healthy coping mechanisms in your life and instill hope for the future.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and general psychology may not help everyone. Sometimes there are deeper underlying issues in mental illness. If this is the case, we’ll work with you to find a different solution — whether that’s with a different psychological technique or including medication.
Would you like to book an appointment? Have a question or concern?
Fill in the form or call the office to chat with us today.