What is Depression?

Although depression looks different in everybody, it is often characterized by feelings of sadness or loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. It can come on suddenly after a major loss or stressful event or it can take the form of a vague feeling of emptiness that has accompanied you for most of your life. Individuals with depression often struggle with other issues such as pervasive feelings of guilt, low self-worth or fears of rejection and abandonment. Depression can interfere with developing and maintaining satisfying relationships and can make you feel as though you are ‘stuck’ and unable to meet personal standards for success and fulfillment. Often, people with depression find themselves isolating from friends and family or withdrawing from important responsibilities. Depression may also manifest in patterns of substance misuse, anger or irritability, and other forms of self-destructive behaviors.

How can psychotherapy help?

Psychotherapy is often needed in order to get to the root of what left a person vulnerable to developing a depressive reaction. Often these roots are unconscious and originate from early life experiences and painful relationships that the individual has not fully processed and worked through. As such, one may feel a sense of confusion with not understanding what caused the depression to start and may be afraid that it will never resolve. This is where therapy can help. In the context of a safe and supportive relationship, therapy will allow you to make connections between past and present thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Over time, you will learn to view yourself and your circumstances in a more positive and realistic light and be less controlled by negative expectations that prevent you from moving forward in your career and relationships.