What is depression?
Depression is a mental health disorder that affects how you feel, think, and act. It’s characterized by a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest in people and activities that would usually stimulate you.
Along with feeling sad, people who are depressed may also experience other symptoms, including:
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Feelings of guilt and worthlessness
- Loss of interest in everything
- Angry outbursts or irritability
- Difficulty concentrating
- Insomnia or disturbed sleep
- Lethargy and fatigue
- Anxiety
- Change in appetite
- Thoughts of death or suicide
Depression is not just feeling sad, and often you can’t just snap out of it. Most people benefit from professional talk therapy to help them understand and work through this mental health disorder.
What causes depression?
Depression can affect anyone, even someone who seems like they have everything they could want in life. There are many factors that increase your chances of developing depression.
Genetics
If depression runs in your family, you are more prone to developing it.
Biochemistry
Changes in your brain chemistry or hormonal fluctuations, like during pregnancy, contribute to your chances of developing depression.
Trauma
If you have experienced traumatic events, especially as a child, and have low self-esteem as a result, you have a higher chance of developing depression.
It may be a combination of several factors that gives rise to your depression. In any case, your condition is treatable, and the practice can help you get relief from your symptoms
How do you treat depression?
Queens Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Psychology, PLLC, develops a customized treatment plan that addresses your specific symptoms. The practice specializes in evidence-based interventions, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), a type of psychotherapy that emphasizes the importance of how your thinking affects the way you feel and act.
CBT works by adjusting your negative thinking through a process of cognitive restructuring, replacing negative thoughts with healthier ones. This, in turn, positively affects your emotions and actions.
Over the course of many therapy sessions, CBT helps you recognize specific emotional challenges and work through the thinking process behind them. Once you have identified patterns of negative thinking and actions that contribute to your depression, your therapist begins to help you challenge these negatives.
During each session, you discuss your progress and identify areas in which your thinking still holds you back. Over time, you learn to form new helpful thinking habits that result in healthier behavior and alleviated levels of depression.
If you suffer from unexplained sadness and feelings of worthlessness, call the office or use the online scheduling tool to make an appointment today.
