Are You Finding It Difficult To Engage Positively With Yourself And The World Around You?
• Do you feel deprived of a sense of joy or pleasure?
• Are feelings of sadness, loneliness, and isolation pervading your everyday experience?
• Have you developed a sense of self-loathing as a result of not being able to pull yourself out of a rut?
Perhaps your mindset these days is largely characterized by negative thoughts and sensations. You may be feeling worthless, hopeless, and constantly pessimistic. It could be that anger appears more readily than feelings of joy or happiness, and that may have caused you to become restless or agitated.
Because you’re constantly on edge, you may find it difficult to connect with others and maintain your relationships. Perhaps you find yourself feeling lonely in a crowded room, or maybe you’re discouraged from trying new things or engaging with others out of a fear that you’ll be judged. You may have even lost the motivation to take advantage of the opportunities and relationships that once instilled your life with a sense of purpose and fulfillment.
If these emotional burdens weren’t heavy enough already, depression also often manifests in physical symptoms. You may struggle with pain that has no identifiable cause, or perhaps you’ve gained or lost weight but don’t know why. It could be that ongoing sleep issues have wreaked havoc on your cognitive functioning, and you find it increasingly difficult to concentrate, remember things, and manage your time effectively.
Sure, others may have told you that if you just do “x”, you’ll be happy. Yet, no matter what you do, you often feel forced to put on a happy face that doesn’t reflect what’s happening internally. Depression creates feelings of guilt and shame that likely make you feel unworthy of relief, but treatment can help you reverse this mindset and increase your capacity for joy.
Depression Is A Common Result Of An Ever-Changing World In Crisis
Depression has always been a prevalent mental health condition, but the particularly challenging circumstances of the last few years have caused symptoms of depression to be more severe and widespread. A 2020 report from the CDC noted that during COVID-19, American adults have “reported considerably elevated adverse mental health conditions.”¹
The same study emphasized that certain groups are more vulnerable to an onset of depression, remarking that “younger adults, racial/ethnic minorities, essential workers, and unpaid adult caregivers reported having experienced disproportionately worse mental health outcomes, increased substance abuse, and elevated suicidal ideation.”² We’ve always known that for those in stressful professions, like first responders or healthcare workers, symptoms of depression are more likely to occur. But we’re now also seeing similar impacts of internalized stress, grief, and trauma in the general population.
Those of us who aren’t in life-or-death professions have been increasingly subjected to isolating and distressing circumstances. We’re living through a time when screens have replaced human interactions and where we receive more validation from social media than from concrete relationships, from a swipe right than from a conversation in real time. Feelings of low self-esteem are generated by a culture defined by “likes” that adversely impact our connections to both ourselves and others.
Of course, there is a difference between clinical depression that develops as a result of chemical miscalculation and generalized depression that is more circumstantial as a result of grief/loss, situational stressors, and underlying health issues. Nevertheless, both disorders signify that we’re out of balance emotionally and psychologically. And while we are conditioned in this culture to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps, depression is difficult to navigate alone.
Depression treatment with a skilled therapist, however, can instill you with a sense of control over what is happening in your life and give you the tools needed to shift from a mindset of loneliness to one of connection and possibility.
Depression Treatment Can Help To Relieve Symptoms And Improve Your Point-Of-View
Oftentimes when depression hits, a small step can feel like an insurmountable leap, but the therapists at bareWell are here to encourage, empower, and celebrate your strengths. We will guide you in the small choices you can make each day that will change your mindset little by little so that you can have perspective on the root and symptoms of your depression.
After a brief intake during which you’ll be teamed up with the therapist best suited to meet your needs, you’ll begin the process of a collaborative depression treatment during which you’ll receive tailored tools and strategies for emotional regulation. Once you feel more capable of handling life’s daily stressors, we’ll begin to reflect on, explore, and identify the root of your depressive thinking, helping you to recognize where distorted thinking and long-held negative beliefs are adversely impacting your outlook.
Using a combination of cognitive-behavioral approaches, emotionally-focused therapies, and motivational or strength-based techniques, you’ll be able to nurture a more positive mindset and develop tools for coping with depression that you can take with you for life.
Our team of therapists at bareWell has over forty years of combined experience in targeting the traumatic experiences and distressing events that often result in symptoms of depression. We can provide you with valuable insight for changing the damaging thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that have cast a fog of depression over your life.
With the right kind of therapeutic help and treatment, you can learn to manage depression and fully appreciate a range of emotions and experiences. A life of positivity and renewed connection to yourself is possible! And it all begins here at bareWell.
Perhaps you’re ready to try therapy for depression, but you have some questions…
The circumstances of my life are good; I have everything I need. Why can’t I just get it together?
Depression doesn’t discriminate based on age, race, gender, income, or relationship status. With the exception of genetic predisposition, there is no one kind of person who is more prone to depression than another.
When depression strikes, it doesn’t allow you to understand your thoughts objectively or to see the reality of your situation, which is that you’re experiencing an imbalance that is causing you emotional, physical, and psychological pain. Our therapists, however, can help to provide you with the perspective needed to step outside of your mindset to see how to effectively change damaging thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. And we would never assume that because the circumstances of your life are good, you’re not vulnerable to the pain and anguish caused by depression.
Can I just take medication to curtail symptoms of depression?
There are certainly medications that target chemical imbalances and can help you to feel better. However, we know from research and experience that depression treatment with medication is more effective when paired with talk therapy³. We will work with you to understand what your needs are, and if it’s decided that medication is the best option for your depression, our therapists are prepared to support you in making that choice.
If medication is part of your treatment plan, we can connect you with the right information and resources. We maintain connections with a large network of clinicians and specialists in the community so that clients in need of medication have access to the care they need.
I just don’t think that anything can help me.
The American Psychological Association views depression as a condition that can be treated, and research has long validated the effectiveness of behavioral therapies when it comes to treating depression. Through years of experience, our clinicians have seen the demonstrated results of individually tailored treatment and good care—we have watched people heal and find a renewed sense of happiness with depression therapy.
We understand that you don’t have a lot of hope right now. But do you think it’s possible to let one of us be the keeper of your hope for a while? We’ll do the heavy lifting with you until you get to a place where your symptoms feel more manageable and your thoughts are more optimistic.
Let Us Help You To Recapture Your Zest For Life
If depression has compromised your ability to feel motivated and joyful, therapeutic treatment with the clinicians at bareWell can help empower you. For more information or to schedule a free, 15-minute consultation, fill out our contact form, and we’ll be in touch.
¹ https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932a1.htm
² See above citation
³ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2748674/
