How Therapy Can Help With Depression

The word depression is used so frequently that it can be tough to navigate whether you have experienced it or not.

There are many different types of depression, and they can feel different depending on the person.

What is depression?

According to the American Psychiatric Association, depression can be identified with this definition:

Read More: “Common Questions About Depression Answered”

“Depression is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think, and how you act.”

With depression comes lack of interest in hobbies that you once enjoyed, feelings of sadness, and even changes in appetite and sleep habits.

Depression can negatively impact both your home life and work life due to the lack of motivation and heavy feelings. Because of the weight of depression, people will often seek treatment through therapy and other modalities.

If I feel sad, am I depressed?

Even when you may have feelings of sadness, you are not necessarily depressed. Feelings of sadness are a normal part of life. One negative thought doesn’t mean you have depression. You can feel depressed and not have depression.

Clinical depression, indicating more care and attention might be needed persists for several weeks or longer. If you are experiencing sadness for several weeks, it may be worth exploring the root of your sadness and other symptoms you may be experiencing.

Depressive symptoms can seriously impact your quality of life and indicate what care might be most helpful for you.

Some signs of depression may include:

• Loss of interest in activities that once brought you pleasure
• Changes in appetite – both weight gain and weight loss
• Changes in sleep – Too much or too little
• Increase in physical activity – handwringing, bouncing legs, pacing, etc.
• Suicidal ideation – either thinking about suicide or making plans for suicide with or without intention of acting on thoughts
• Feelings of worthlessness
• Difficulty with concentration or decision making

This is not an exhaustive list but can be a way to help you identify whether you may have a more serious issue like depression or mental health condition rather than occasional sadness. If you do have feelings of depression, it can be important to reach out and get help.

What does it look like to get help with depression?

You can take a small step to make a big difference with your depression. Making a plan that is individualized to you can be important in helping with your experience of depression.

Read More: “Considering Therapy? Here’s What You Should Look For When Choosing A Therapist For You.”

Part of depression can be the feeling of shame and fear of speaking up. Seeking help can help alleviate the feeling of shame. In fact, one of the antidotes to shame can be speaking up and telling your story.

There is not a one-size fits all approach when it comes to depression; however, there are therapists in Denver who specialize in therapy for depression.

When considering therapy, it can be helpful to think about factors like whether you have similar beliefs with a therapist, similar identities, and how you feel around them. It may take a few tries to get a therapist that works best for you.

You may be tempted to use this as an excuse not to continue your search. There are therapists who can help, and they are available to you.

It can be helpful to ask for a consultation with a therapist before meeting with them and getting a sense of how you feel when you talk with them. Ask them questions about their approach to treating depression and see how their answer sits with you.

If having thoughts of suicide is part of your experience with depression, ask the therapist how they work with suicide and what their values and approach to supporting someone with thoughts of suicide is.

Keep showing up for yourself in your search.

Can therapy help me?

You may be surprised at how much therapy can help an individual who suffers from depression. When you are feeling your lowest, a therapist can provide perspective and champion you through feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness.

Thoughts can be the reason you get stuck, so if you are consistently alone with them, you may stay stuck in thought patterns that are no longer serving you.

Therapists can help guide you to improved mental health by asking questions, listening without judgement, and providing a completely safe space.

Therapists can help you uncover reasons you may have depression whether it’s due to relationship issues, a chemical imbalance in your brain, a history of trauma, fear of safety or many other possible contributors.

Depression can impact anyone regardless of their race, socioeconomic status, gender, sexuality, etc.

Therapy can be helpful in navigating depression regardless of your story.

It is a powerful way to help yourself.

If I have depression, will I always need therapy?

It can be harmful to live in extremes. Just because you may have depression doesn’t mean that you will always need therapy.

Read More: “Help For Depression: Finding Hope Through Support”

Some people need a few sessions to help them find more clarity and shift a mindset, some people need a couple of months of therapy, and some people prefer to go throughout their life.

Rather than focusing on the amount of time that therapy will take, you can reframe your thinking to how much you can benefit from therapy if you start now rather than later.

You may see the benefits of therapy right away, and it make take a little while.

Both are okay.

Therapy can be for everyone who is willing.

What types of therapy can help with depression?

There are many types of therapy that can help reduce depression symptoms including but not limited to: talk therapy or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), EMDR therapy, somatic therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to name a few.

Therapy can be a helpful next step to improving depression.

One of the tough parts about depression can be that you may think you have to do life alone. That is not true.

Therapy is available to you, and at Denver Metro Counseling, we have therapists on our clinical team who specialize in depression and anxiety. This can be the next step to improve your mental health.

You are worth it.

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Written by: Randi Thackeray, MA
Clinically Reviewed and Edited by: Julie Reichenberger, MA, LPC, ACS