Depression
Counselling for Depression Specialism
Alongside significant clinical experience, I have a specialist qualification in working with mild to moderate depression.
~ PCE-CfD, completed with Metanoia Institute, London.
(Person-Centred Experiential Counselling for Depression)
No Shame
There is no shame in feeling depressed.
We all feel sad and low at times, but depression leads us to feel this way for weeks or months at a time.
As with everything we go through, we will have an experience that is unique to us, but there are common themes, often including the experiencing of anxiety alongside.
Symptoms
- Depression can affect us emotionally, cognitively and physically.
- Symptoms are varied and may include feeling flat, empty, numb, hopeless, tearful, irritable and angry.
- We may feel like we are under a black cloud, in a dark hole, or being followed around by a black dog (Book - ‘I had a Black Dog: His name was Depression’ – Matthew Johnstone)
- We may experience feeling of heaviness and of being weighed down or as if we are moving in slow motion somehow.
- We will likely experience a loss of joy in things that we would normally look forward to or be interested in.
- We may have less energy and feel tired or fatigued. Our motivation can feel as if it has disappeared and our bodies may feel sore or ache.
- Our sleep and appetite can be affected, along with our concentration and self-confidence.
- We may not recognise ourselves and feel lost.
- We may want to withdraw and isolate ourselves, whilst at the same time we may feel alone, dismissed or left out.
- Excessive self-criticism can lead to low self-esteem, and this in turn can maintain depression.
- There can be confusing, contradictory experiences happening for us, and if all of this has been a gradual process, we may not recognise that we are experiencing depression as it just becomes the norm.
Causes of Depression
Many different things can lead us to experience depression, such as;
- We may feel depressed leading up to, or after a distressing life event such as a relationship breakdown, redundancy, conflict at work or a bereavement.
- Post-natal depression can occur at any time during the first year after having a baby.
- SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) relates to changes in seasons, so tends to impact us at about the same time every year.
- Continually dismissing our own needs can also lead to depression. We may be unaware of them, but there will be reasons why we do this that counselling can help you explore and address.
- Childhood experiences can lead to depression in adulthood.
- Physical illness, long term health conditions and chronic pain.
Ultimately, what our experiences mean to us affects how we feel and behave.
Talking about these with an appropriately qualified counsellor can help us to gain comfort, clarity, new resources, and ultimately the chance to improve our quality of life.