Do you find that feelings of depression are overwhelming you?

• Do you feel depressed all day?
• Do you feel there is no hope?
• Is your depression impacting your ability to work or to be in a relationship?
• Do you want to find a way to cope with your depression?

Every person might experience sadness at some point in his or her live. This is a normal reaction to difficult experiences and usually passes after some time. But when people have clinical depression it interferes with their lives. Depression can cause people to want to isolate themselves and not interact with others. It is difficult to overcome depression and people need treatment to feel better.

But how can you know if you have a depressive disorder? How can you know that what you are feeling are not just feelings of sadness? One of the ways is to determine that you have depression is if your depressive feelings are impacting your ability to enjoy your life and to function at work, at school, or in your relationships. The symptoms of depression include problems sleeping, difficulty concentrating on simple tasks, overeating or lack an appetite, lacking enjoyment in life activities, and having feelings of hopelessness.

You might think that you can cope with your symptoms of depression, that you should be able to deal with them. But depression can be overwhelming. It can take only one episode, and then you can find yourself not being able to function. Depression can impact your thoughts and feelings and cause you to isolate your self from others. Therefore it is important to find a way to address your disorder with depression treatment before it becomes overwhelming.

Depression is a common disorder

Depression is a common disorder impacting approximately 15 million adults. Depression can develop at any age and is one of the main causes of disability for people ages 15 to 44. More prevalent in women but also afflicts men. There are different factors for developing depression, including genetics and environmental factors. A person might have experienced a traumatic event, loss of a loved one, had difficult childhood experiences, or had experienced another type of stressor.

Depression can impact people differently. For women depressive symptoms might include sadness, worthlessness, and guilt. For men the symptoms could be feeling tired, irritable, and angry and consequently they lose interest in activities they used to enjoy and use drugs or alcohol to cope with their symptoms. Many men do not recognize their symptoms and do not seek treatment.

However, depression is nothing to be embarrassed about. It does not indicate anything about a person’s character. Depression can occur with other illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, and might be a side effect of a medication. Depression can occur as a result of stressors such as loss of income, marital problems, or other stressors. The problem is when you feel overwhelmed by your depression it can seems impossible to get back to day-to-day activities.

A person might avoid discussing his or her depressive symptoms with family or friends due to feeling embarrassed or unsure what is occurring. A person might feel that depressive symptoms could be dealt with by ignoring the symptoms, that they would eventually “good away”. The good news is that depressive disorders are treatable. People should get depression treatment before their symptoms become excessive.

Depression treatment can give you the tools to cope with your symptoms

People that experience depressive disorders can have debilitating symptoms that impact their ability to function. There are two types of depressive disorders: major depression and persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia). The symptoms of major depression are present for at least two weeks most the day and nearly every day. These symptoms interfere with ability to work, sleep, eat, and enjoy life. The symptoms of dysthymia are present for at least two years. With dysthymia a person experiences symptoms of major depression as well as less severe symptoms. I have treated depression for over 10 years. I work with people of all ages and from different backgrounds. My approach is tailored to your needs and my aim is to help you cope with your depressive symptoms. I can help to free you from these symptoms.

Why is my approach effective? I use an approach called cognitive behavioral therapy. This is a short-term goal oriented approach that aims to change your pattern of thinking and associated behaviors connected to those thoughts. Working together with you I look at the way your thoughts and attitudes that you have about different issues impact your behaviors. Once you understand the connection it becomes easier for you to cope with the depressive symptoms.

I will help you to examine the impact of negative automatic thoughts on your ability to cope with stressful events. Negative automatic thoughts are inaccurate and can be harmful.  For example having a low opinion of yourself and your abilities can impact job performance and your interactions with family and friends. Negative thoughts usually originate in childhood as a result of the way that our family treated us.

Each session lasts for 50 minutes and we will meet once or twice a week depending on the severity of the symptoms you are experiencing and your individual needs. In each session we will work together on understanding the impact of your thoughts on your behaviors. I will also give you homework assignments so you can continue to work on the exercises we used during the session. Remember that you can overcome your depression and find new ways to cope with your stress through depression treatment.

I think that I might need therapy but I heard therapy is expensive

Therapy is an investment in your wellbeing. By learning to cope with your depression you can reduce your stress and learn to lead a more productive life. I offer a free half hour initial session.

You can improve your life

Many people may not think they have depression until discussing problems they face in depth. There is no shame in seeking help to make your life brighter and happier. I will help you find the right coping skills to enhance your well-being. Life should not have to be scary, and through depression treatment, you can find the true relief you need.  Please call me at 646.717.4860 for a free 30 minute consultation.