When you are depressed, everything can feel like an effort and it can be difficult to imagine how anything will ever improve. Depression doesn't have to be forever. Counselling for depression can help you clear the fog, despair and feelings of hopelessness and find clarity and hope.

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Depression usually manifests as a heavy and persistent feeling of hopelessness and exhaustion that can affect our mood, emotions, behaviour and body. Counselling is about getting to the root of these depressive feelings and thoughts and finding ways to think differently and feel more positive and hopeful.

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Depression is more common than you think

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Depression is widespread: One in six people is affected at some point in their lives. Counselling for depression is one of the most frequently requested reasons for attending treatment.

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Do I suffer from Depression?

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When does "down" or "a bit sad" become something more? When does a "mood low" turn into depression? Mood swings are something common, but a low mood can sometimes last for weeks and become depression.

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What are the signs of depression?

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• A constant feeling of lethargy or tiredness.

• Loss of interest in activities or pleasures you have always enjoyed.

• Feeling that everything is hopeless or pointless.

• Inability to relax or sleep, especially if you have insomnia. 

• Feeling irritable, irritable and out of sorts.

• Loss of appetite.

• Loss of interest in maintaining your appearance or health.

• Feeling anxious and overwhelmed.

• Feeling that there is no point in trying.

• Suicidal thoughts or fantasies.

• The more you can identify with the above list and the stronger the feelings, the more likely you are to be suffering from depression and not just going through a bad patch.

 

 

If you need support now or are having suicidal thoughts, please talk to someone: A good friend or family member. You can find more support here. 

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Are all depressions the same?

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The simple answer is "no". This is because no two people have exactly the same experience or reaction to an emotion, and depression is an emotional reaction. As a trained counsellor, I first start with what "depression" feels like to you. This starting point has a big impact on how I approach depression treatment to help someone who has related problems. 

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How does counselling for depression work?

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One way of thinking about depression is that it is a kind of persistent sadness and that there is always a reason why we feel sad or even depressed. We may not be able to identify the "trigger" for this depression.

 

In fact, the depression we feel is often caused by an event that happened earlier in our lives that we do not yet want to acknowledge, but which has surfaced in our subconscious and triggered our feelings. In counselling, I support you to develop a self-care programme to overcome your depression and to prevent you from falling back into a downward spiral once you have recovered.

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