Lifting Depression...
“Your intellect may be confused, but your emotions will never lie to you.”
This, from the movie critic Roger Ebert, is a reminder of what we often find in therapy. When you are sad, you don't always know why, though you may be able to list any number of complaints. Your emotions are trying to tell you something important. "Take care of me!" or "Pay attention!" or "Make a change!"
Unfortunately, one of the really cruel aspects of depression is that, sometimes your emotions do lie. Persistent sadness or depression can convince you that there is no help, no way out, you're all alone, it's all hopeless. Know those feelings to be lies.
"HOW DO I KNOW IF I AM DEPRESSED?"
You don't need a pharmaceutical ad to tell you that depression hurts. A lot. No one needs to tell you, either, that it robs you of a life you could be living, of relationships that could be so much better. Unless you have had experience with it already, you may not recognize depression for what it is since it can take many guises. While one person may cry what seems like all the time, another may feel numb to the point of being unresponsive. One person becomes quiet, withdrawn, and plainly sad, while another lashes out in irritability and anger. What makes depression so much different than feeling sad is that it just doesn't let up. That can lead to a feeling of isolation from others. It can also lead you to "self-medicate" with alcohol or other drugs, which, of course, does not cure depression, instead creates a new round of problems.
No online screening test or list of symptoms is meant to be a substitute for a clinical diagnosis which you can receive in my office. However, for a general idea of how you feel, take thisbrief screening test.
"WHAT DO WE DO IN THERAPY?"
In confidential conversation, we can find the source of the emotional disruption of depression, not so we can place blame, but so we can determine how to go about moving through it. Mild to moderate depression is best treated with psychotherapy, as all research (even from pharmaceutical companies) shows. Long-lived or severe depression may be helped with both psychotherapy and medication together. But medication alone is never the whole solution and in fact can mask the problems that cause depression. I can help you find a way to get you back on the road that will give you the joy you deserve. We will identify your many personal strengths, your negative thought patterns, and how to practice a mindful way of living. You may gain a new perspective on your life, your problems, yourself. Together we can find the best treatment to make your sojourn through life a pleasant one.
"HOW LONG BEFORE I FEEL BETTER?"
How long have you had symptoms of depression? A month? A year? A lifetime? How soon you begin feeling better depends on a number of factors: the severity of your depression, your family or work situation, and your willingness to actively participate in therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy has proven itself in studies of effective treatment for both depression and anxiety. Learning to change habits of thinking and feeling takes as much or as little time as the effort you invest. Many people find that four to six months of weekly sessions is sufficient to feel better. Others choose to stay in therapy longer so that they can work on other problems in their lives now that they are not ruled by depression and can see relationships and other choices more clearly.
You do not have to live another day of more living under the shroud of depression. Let's get started.
This, from the movie critic Roger Ebert, is a reminder of what we often find in therapy. When you are sad, you don't always know why, though you may be able to list any number of complaints. Your emotions are trying to tell you something important. "Take care of me!" or "Pay attention!" or "Make a change!"
Unfortunately, one of the really cruel aspects of depression is that, sometimes your emotions do lie. Persistent sadness or depression can convince you that there is no help, no way out, you're all alone, it's all hopeless. Know those feelings to be lies.
"HOW DO I KNOW IF I AM DEPRESSED?"
You don't need a pharmaceutical ad to tell you that depression hurts. A lot. No one needs to tell you, either, that it robs you of a life you could be living, of relationships that could be so much better. Unless you have had experience with it already, you may not recognize depression for what it is since it can take many guises. While one person may cry what seems like all the time, another may feel numb to the point of being unresponsive. One person becomes quiet, withdrawn, and plainly sad, while another lashes out in irritability and anger. What makes depression so much different than feeling sad is that it just doesn't let up. That can lead to a feeling of isolation from others. It can also lead you to "self-medicate" with alcohol or other drugs, which, of course, does not cure depression, instead creates a new round of problems.
No online screening test or list of symptoms is meant to be a substitute for a clinical diagnosis which you can receive in my office. However, for a general idea of how you feel, take thisbrief screening test.
"WHAT DO WE DO IN THERAPY?"
In confidential conversation, we can find the source of the emotional disruption of depression, not so we can place blame, but so we can determine how to go about moving through it. Mild to moderate depression is best treated with psychotherapy, as all research (even from pharmaceutical companies) shows. Long-lived or severe depression may be helped with both psychotherapy and medication together. But medication alone is never the whole solution and in fact can mask the problems that cause depression. I can help you find a way to get you back on the road that will give you the joy you deserve. We will identify your many personal strengths, your negative thought patterns, and how to practice a mindful way of living. You may gain a new perspective on your life, your problems, yourself. Together we can find the best treatment to make your sojourn through life a pleasant one.
"HOW LONG BEFORE I FEEL BETTER?"
How long have you had symptoms of depression? A month? A year? A lifetime? How soon you begin feeling better depends on a number of factors: the severity of your depression, your family or work situation, and your willingness to actively participate in therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy has proven itself in studies of effective treatment for both depression and anxiety. Learning to change habits of thinking and feeling takes as much or as little time as the effort you invest. Many people find that four to six months of weekly sessions is sufficient to feel better. Others choose to stay in therapy longer so that they can work on other problems in their lives now that they are not ruled by depression and can see relationships and other choices more clearly.
You do not have to live another day of more living under the shroud of depression. Let's get started.
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