Depression is a mental health disorder when a person has a low mood and lose interest in things that would normally make them happy or find enjoyable. They have low energy, and they may have feelings of hurt and pain without a clear cause. People that are having these feelings may not want to engage in social interactions. They may even have trouble getting out of bed to go to work. Depression is a serious mental health condition that needs to be taken seriously.
How to Identify a Loved One with Depression?
There are some things to be aware of to help identify if a loved one is suffering from depression. A loved one may exhibit a low mood which makes them seem like they lost interest in life. They may refuse to leave their home and may not want to interact with anyone, including family. If they are offered to do an enjoyable activity, they may turn it down or show little interest. The person may state that they do not enjoy things and they will show little interest. They may feel or state that they are worthless or helpless. They may also talk about some life decisions that they regret. If a loved one has lost interest in life, it can be due to depression. Some people that have severe depression may begin to hallucinate, and they will talk about things that did not happen or are not really there. If they have a depressive episode, the loss of interest will help alert the family that something is wrong.
What is Psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is the type of therapy that people may be familiar with. A person will meet with a therapist regularly to talk about their feelings. They will take about their behaviour, any challenges they are facing, and they will work with the therapist to develop a plan to overcome the depression and find joy in life. The therapist will work with the person to reduce their negative thoughts and feelings. They will also help a person develop additional social skills so they can connect with others.
How Can Psychotherapy Help Alleviate Depression?
When a person is attending psychotherapy, they are learning how to change their behaviours. They are in a safe place to speak about what is bothering them without judgment. They are building a relationship with the therapist, and they are learning how they can make positive changes. A person will learn about their interests and also about their personality. They will learn what bothers them and what they need to work on. They will learn their strengths and weaknesses as a person. The therapist will then help them develop a plan for positive change and may even change their mindset to positive thinking.
What to Look for in Your Therapist to Ensure the Clinician Can Help You Heal From Your Depression?
When working with a therapist to treat depression, it is important to find one focused in this area. The therapist will have completed additional training and experiences working with people that are depressed. A person should meet with the therapist and make sure they feel comfortable speaking to them. If a person feels like they cannot confide in the therapist or they are not happy with the person, they should find someone else. The therapist should provide treatment suggestions without being judgemental. Seeing a therapist will be similar to entering a partnership. The therapist should work with the person they are treating so they can develop a plan for improvement and productive ways to change the behaviour. A person will also want to make sure the therapist is licensed and accredited. They will want to check to make sure the license is in good standing, and there are no charges or accusations against them.
Important Psychotherapies That Ease Symptoms of Depression?
Some other forms of psychotherapies can be used to help people with depression. However, these are some of the most effective treatments.
EMDR Therapy
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy was developed to help people with traumatic memories. If a person has been through trauma in their life, these memories can come back to haunt them as adults and lead to feelings of depression. This treatment will help reduce the pain and will allow a person to continue with life.
Brainspotting
Brainspotting will help a person process trauma through the fixed eye position. There are specific positions of the eye that have their own area of the brain where they control the memories. When a person has their eyes in this position, they can expose triggers and things in their past that may lead to depression. This will allow a person to find out what is bothering them, and they can go about seeking treatment. In addition, a person will be able to reprogram the way they think so they can put these memories behind them and learn how to cope and function.
Psychodynamic Therapy
This treatment is will into depth so a person can find the root cause of their depression. It will go into the unconscious and will help relieve the tension a person may be feeling. This therapy will be successful if a person can build a solid relationship with their therapist and trust them. This will allow a person to look into areas they may not know and help them find and treat what is causing their depression.
Depression is a serious mental health condition that will have an impact on many different areas of life. For example, a person may lose interest in things they have once enjoyed. Different therapy options can be used to help a person get to the cause of their depression and develop options for help, so they no longer have to feel this way.
Author Profile:
Reena Goenka is an author of the Insightful Counselling & Training blog. She is a caring Mother, an understanding counselor, a healing therapist, a whiz consultant, an expert trainer, and a brilliant writer, holding expertise in Mental health, Psychotherapy treatments, Emdr therapy, and Professional Counseling.
