When people think of the word depression, the words hopelessness, loneliness, extreme sadness, and even suicide come to mind. There is much more to feeling depressed than just those words. Depression can be experienced throughout a lifetime, at intervals in life, or appearing within a short period of time. It can be due to traumatic events and experiences from childhood, current events or without any known cause. The feelings of anger, agitation, and irritability can be experienced suddenly or for long periods of time.
Others describe depression as being powerless and having no energy throughout the day, even when one sleeps many hours. Depression can separate one from their normal relationships. A common characteristic of people who live with depression is suffering from low self-esteem. Feeling an overall sense of hopelessness, living day to day with no personal meaning, and experiencing life through a mental “fog” are also ways that depression is described. The practices of healthy nutrition, exercise, and rest can be helpful to combat depression, but people suffering from depression often do not have the energy to initiate any of those behaviors. Additionally, the activities are not enough to rid one of the heaviness that accompanies depression. An option to deal with depression is to talk to someone in an environment that is safe for you to talk about your feelings and discover your options. If you can relate to the symptoms described, you may want to consider talking to a counselor. At the Carpenter’s House PC, the counselors are here to provide a comfortable, safe, and supportive place to process or talk about your depression symptoms and life stressors. The counselors will help you learn and practice tools to manage and reduce symptoms. Our goal for each of our clients is to help them express their emotions, identify their options in their situation, and set their personal goals for growth. |