If you’ve ever felt a surge of excitement about life, empowered, dynamic, that sense of being on top of the world where you have a spring in your step and an excitement about what you’re doing, you know how exhilarating life can be. If you’re finding that difficult to relate to, you also know that where you are right now might not be exactly where you want to be.
Everyone at times has highs and lows, successes and challenges and times where they feel more ahead of the game and times where they’re struggling a bit more. Usually this can be attributed to current life circumstances. At times of particular life transitions, making big life changes related to your career, relationship status or moving house for example, you can expect to feel a wider range of emotions than when things are more stable.
But when you’re not dealing with any significant life events, when on paper it seems like you’re ticking all the right boxes and you’re still struggling with a sense of hopelessness, depression could be the cause. Depression is a mood disorder that negatively affects your moods and how you behave. It’s characterized by a prolonged sense of sadness, hopelessness, loss of interest in activities that you usually enjoy, and saps your motivation and efficiency in day-to-day life.
Clinical depression can affect people for years and even decades, greatly reducing your pleasure in life until you find the right approach or combination of treatments that works for you.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1663511384342{margin-top: 50px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”What could be causing your depression?” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]There is not usually any one individual factor that can be pinpointed as the cause of your depression. Typically, there are a range of factors that must be taken into account when considering why one person is more prone to depression than someone else, for example:
- Family genetics and a family history of depression or other mood disorders can increase the likelihood of your developing depression
- An imbalance in brain chemistry, such as how much serotonin your brain produces and how efficiently it’s transferred through the brain synapses to get to the right place
- Lifestyle factors, such as adequate sleep, nutrition, and hydration are key components of self-care that dramatically influence your overall sense of mood and wellbeing
- Protracted high levels of stress without an appropriate outlet for stress relief and relaxation
- Long-term use of chemical and mood-altering substances (both alcohol and in some cases even prescription medication can contribute to depression)
- Living with a chronic physical health condition can greatly influence your sense of independence and curtail your capacity to partake of life as fully as you’d like
- Unresolved trauma or abuse can manifest as depression even many years later and greatly diminish your overall life satisfaction until you address it
As you can see, the body is a delicate machine with multiple components that must each be considered and nurtured, or it can easily fall out of alignment.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1663497748793{margin-top: 30px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Treatments for depression” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]There are different types of treatment available to treat depression, such as psychotherapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), medication, and more. Most people find a combination of treatments to be the most effective strategy for long-lasting management of chronic depression. But in order for treatment to be effective, it’s critical to identify and address the cause of the depression in the first place.
In some cases, certain health conditions such as nutritional deficiencies or hormonal imbalances can mimic the symptoms of clinical depression. Similarly, some types of prescription medication can interact to create the experience of depression as a side-effect of regular medications. For this reason, we take a thorough case history to rule out any easily-remediable causes of your depression.
If you’ve tried making changes to improve your moods or just don’t feel that you’re able to pull yourself out of the hole in which you find yourself, please don’t hesitate in reaching out for help.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1663497748793{margin-top: 30px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Depression is treatable” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]Even though you wouldn’t necessarily choose to battle depression, if you are facing depression it’s unlikely that it’ll resolve itself until you do something about it.
Your depression is a signal light that something needs to be addressed. In some cases, addressing a chemical imbalance with medication can drastically improve your depression within weeks. In other cases, there might be other issues that need to be resolved at the same time. Usually, a combined approach is most effective for prompt and sustainable improvement.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1663497748793{margin-top: 30px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Harnessing your own strengths to treat depression” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]If you’re aware of it or not, chances are that you already have a wealth of resources available to you that you may not be utilizing optimally.
The quality and strength of your relationships, for example, can be invaluable in helping you manage depression and develop resilience for the future. Having supportive family and friendships, religious community involvement, hobby or sporting networks are invaluable resources that can be utilized to your advantage.
Other resources that you probably already have include your own awareness, your insight, and your own intuition that are available to help you grow and guide you to your own healing. Practical skills that you already have, like the ability to research your needs, your professional skills and expertise, and awareness of the resilience you’ve already developed in overcoming previous obstacles are all innate strengths that you can leverage to start feeling better.
I recognize that when you need help, you might not be able to wait months on end for an appointment. I pride myself on providing prompt and responsive healthcare.
If previous attempts to manage depression have had limited effectiveness, there was probably a core issue not being addressed. I am confident that with appropriately skilled guidance, we can find a treatment path that works better for you, and I look forward to helping you become the person you’re proud to be.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
