Therapy for Depression: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
Therapy for Depression: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
Therapy for depression aims to help those who have been diagnosed or believe they have depression. When it comes to the recommended type of therapy, your specific type of depression will be the determining factor.
Depression is a prevalent mental health illness that alters your thoughts, sleep patterns, eating habits, and behavior. The important thing to remember is that depression can be treated, usually with medication, talk therapy, or both. It is critical to get medical attention as soon as you notice symptoms. That’s why we’ll also mention the causes and symptoms of depression in this article.
What Is Depression?
A depressive state differs from normal mood swings or exchanges of feelings we experience in our daily lives. It can impact all areas of our lives, including social and romantic relationships. Depression may originate from or contribute to issues at work and in the classroom. Although anyone can experience depression, it is more likely to affect those who have experienced abuse, significant losses, or other stressful situations.
During a depressive episode, a person will feel a depressed mood (feeling sad, angry, and empty), and they often report a lack of interest in their favorite hobbies and activities.
Depression Symptoms
Different depression symptoms exist, yet these are the most common:
- Lack of focus
- Excessive guilt
- Low self-worth
- Having a pessimistic outlook on the future
- Suicidal thoughts
- Disturbed sleep
- Changes in eating or weight
- Extreme exhaustion
- Lack of energy
Causes of Depression
Depression results from a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors. It is more common in people who have experienced adverse life experiences, such as unemployment, bereavement, or traumatic events. Depression can exacerbate a person’s living circumstances as well as the depression itself, resulting in increased stress and dysfunction.
Physical health is intimately tied to and impacts depression. Numerous characteristics that have been linked to depression, including unhealthy alcohol consumption or physical inactivity, recognized risk factors for conditions like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and respiratory disorders. As a result of the challenges involved in managing their illness, individuals with certain conditions may also experience depression.
When it comes to the most common causes of depression, this is the overview:
- Stressful or traumatic events
- Personality
- Family history
- Menopause
- Loneliness
- Substance or alcohol abuse
- Illness
- Pregnancy or giving birth
- Other mental health problems
Therapy Types for Depression
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to depression therapy; instead, the best kind of treatment depends on a number of criteria. Your treatment choice may depend on your preferences and symptom severity. To help you choose the depression therapy that might be best for you, think about some of the following popular forms:
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy employs both behavioral and cognitive therapy because both are effective in treating anxiety and depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) aims to address the negative cognitive patterns and behaviors that underlie depression.
In your journal, your therapist may ask you to record the week’s events and any negative or self-defeating responses. During CBT, you may address patterns of thought, such as automatic negative reactions or habitual negative responses to events. Two prominent cognitive distortions that are associated with certain reaction patterns are overgeneralization and all-or-nothing thinking.
Cognitive Therapy
The notion that our ideas impact our emotions lies at the core of cognitive therapy. For instance, we are more likely to feel content if we choose to see the positive aspects of every encounter rather than concentrating solely on the bad.
Depression can be aggravated and contributed to by negative thinking. It’s difficult to feel joyful when your mind is always racing with negative ideas. Through cognitive therapy, patients can learn to recognize frequent negative thought patterns or cognitive distortions and replace them with more upbeat ones to elevate their mood.
Behavioral Therapy
Behavioral treatment is concentrated on altering habits that impact emotions, whereas cognitive therapy focuses on the unfavorable beliefs that lead to melancholy. And behavioral activation is critical in treating depression. This includes assisting patients with activities that will improve their sense of well-being.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic therapy is sometimes less concentrated and requires a longer duration of care than certain other depression treatment modalities. This method helps you connect past events and determine how they affected your depression. It can also improve emotional skills and self-awareness.
Interpersonal Therapy
Depression can also result from interpersonal conflict and a lack of social support. One kind of therapy that addresses these problems by focusing on interpersonal interactions and past and present social roles is called interpersonal therapy. The therapist usually selects one or two areas of concern to concentrate on throughout treatment.
This kind of treatment is typically quick and entails assessing your social ties with significant others. Your relationships with your spouse, friends, family, and coworkers might all fall under this category.
The Value of Therapy for Depression
The initial line of treatment for depression is psychological. With moderate to severe depression, you might be advised to take certain antidepressant drugs.
Cognitive behavioral therapies can impart new ways of thinking, adjusting, or interacting with people. They could consist of both supervised therapists and professional talk therapy. Talk therapy can take place online or in person, depending on what suits you best. To schedule a session, you can either use an app, visit a website, send an email, or simply call the number of the therapist’s office.
Regardless of the kind of therapy you choose, psychotherapy ought to be a secure and encouraging environment. You should always feel comfortable talking to a therapist about your depression-related feelings and struggles.
About Life Coaching and Therapy
Life Coaching and Therapy (LCAT) is a therapy and coaching practice that transforms our clients lives through our flexible. Multi-technique approach and pleasure-skills training provided by systematically-trained and licensed therapists!
Get to know our founder and owner, Amanda Pasciucco, (a.k.a. The Sex Healer) PhD, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) that has developed innovative therapy programs and therapy videos that get results.
Our team of compassionate, licensed therapists and certified sex therapists help all clients who visit us for a variety of personal, relationship, intimacy and sex problems.
LCAT provides on-site appointments, as well as video chat and text therapy programs.
Learn more about how LCAT can help improve your life at What We Do.
