You might have felt depressed for many years, for a short time, or maybe this is a brand new experience for you. Depression is very common and impacts most people at some point in their lives. It can happen chronically and persistently, after a major life changing event (such as childbirth), seasonally, or due to a chronic illness or health condition. It can be paired with another mental health concern or out-of-control substance use. It can be temporary or long-term.
No matter why or when depression impacts you, it can feel devastating to daily functioning and it needs to be addressed. Depression impacts your body, brain, and motivation level — which means it can be hard to get out of the vicious cycle all on your own.
If you’re experiencing depression, you may be noticing some of these feelings and experiences coming up for you often:
- Persistent sadness or a feeling of emptiness
- Feeling hopeless or pessimistic
- Irritability or anger
- Tiredness
- Feeling slower than normal
- Headaches, digestive problems, or muscle tension
- Restlessness
- Difficulty concentrating, making decisions, or remembering things
- Difficulty getting the sleep that you need (or perhaps oversleeping)
- Increased or decreased appetite or weight gain/loss
- Thoughts of death or suicide
How Therapy Helps with Depression
A lot of people think depression will just “go away” if they wait it out — but waiting it out can feel disheartening and lonely. Depression has a way of making you feel like there is no end in sight but don’t let it fool you! If you’re feeling depressed, you’ve come to the right place.
With the support and encouragement from a therapist, you can learn more about how you experience depression, challenge the negative perspective that has settled in, and retrain your thoughts. You’ll also find therapy to be a great source for new coping skills and accountability to make changes in your behavior that will help you fight the everyday struggle you’ve been experiencing.
Just like many other personal experiences, depression impacts the way you interact with the world around you — including your relationships. It can create havoc in places where you need calm. This might make you feel even more alone.
But a therapist has your back and is here to walk the path with you. They are trained and experienced and — most importantly — can see the world from outside your depression-influenced perspective while also compassionately viewing it from your mindset.
Our therapists at Kalamazoo Therapy Group will work with you from where you are to help you reach the goals for your life that you envision. They’ll also help you learn what to look for if depression starts to creep back into your life and will prepare you with tools to manage it.
Contact the Kalamazoo Therapy Group
Call us at (269) 225-5148, or send a message.
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