Struggling With Depression? Therapy Can Help

Updated February 23, 2021

Medically Reviewed By: Whitney White, MS. CMHC, NCC., LPC

Depression is not something that should be taken lightly. If you are struggling with depression, you're not alone. Depression is treatable and therapy can help you gain control of your emotions and improve the quality of your life.

Source: rawpixel.com

Symptoms Of Depression

There are different levels of depression. You may experience just mild levels of depression from time to time to severe depression regularly. The first step to getting help is understanding what the signs and symptoms of depression are. Once you can start to identify depression, you can reach out for help from a therapist when you start to struggle.

Some of the symptoms of depression include:

Loss of interest in activities that you used to enjoy
Lack of motivation for work
Either having difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
Experiencing a loss of appetite or overeating regularly
Increased irritability
Feeling sad or down
Feeling hopeless
Withdrawal from family and friends while also feeling lonely
Low energy levels
Suicidal thoughts

When most people think about the symptoms of depression, they think of mental and emotional symptoms. There are also physical signs of depression as well that many people fail to recognize. They can include the following:

Headaches
Pain throughout the body
Problems with your digestive system

Causes of Depression

There are many different reasons why people experience depression. Some people experience depression after going through a rough time in their life. It could be the loss of a loved one, a relationship, or a job. It could be a difficult relationship that they are in or even feeling like life isn't going the way they expected.

Other people are diagnosed with things like Major Depressive Disorder. In situations like these people may have struggled with depression for their entire life without really knowing what has caused it. Whether you know why you are struggling or not, therapy can help. For some, therapists will be able to help them discover the cause of their depression which can help them find the right tools to cope with it and overcome it. For others, therapy will help them learn things that they can do to lessen the impact that depression has on their everyday life.

Types of Therapy for Depression

Many different types of therapy can be used to treat depression. When you start meeting with a therapist, you can ask them questions about the form of therapy that they use and what their reasoning is for it. Don't be afraid to ask questions during your therapy session.

Source: rawpixel.com

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT is an effective form of therapy for people suffering from depression. It helps by empowering you to take an active role in your recovery. The therapy works by focusing on changing your thought patterns. When you take control of your thought patterns, it helps you to change your behaviors and feelings as well. Between appointments, you'll be given homework such as keeping records for your next appointment. As you learn ways to cope with your depression, you will gain a feeling of confidence and self-control.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

This is another form of CBT that focuses on teaching how to deal with stressful situations. It teaches you how to regulate your emotions. It also incorporates mindfulness and learning skills to help regulate intense emotions that accompany depression.

Mindfulness Therapy

Learning how to practice mindfulness can help people that experience feelings of depression and anxiety. Mindfulness is a practice where you learn to remove your emotional response to a situation. So, you learn to just be present at the moment. You allow things to happen without passing judgment on them. So, instead of fighting feelings like sadness, you allow yourself to feel them without feeling bad for feeling that way. This helps you learn to process things differently, which can remove some of the negative impacts of difficult emotions from you.

Light Therapy for Depression

If you struggle with depression more during the fall and winter months, you could be diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This is more common if you live in a location that experiences a high number of cloudy days throughout the season. Light therapy is when you spend time sitting in front of a light therapy box. It's believed that exposure to light can help boost your mood. It's also believed that this can help with other forms of depression as well. Some mental health conditions could be negatively impacted by using light therapy. It's important that you talk to a mental health professional before trying something like this on your own.

Psychoanalysis

This is a form of therapy that many mental health professionals don't believe is enough to treat depression on its own. However, it is an effective way to help people gain greater self-awareness and find some relief from their depression symptoms. It's a form of talk therapy.

Formats for Therapy

Not only are there many different types of therapy that you can do, but there are also different ways that you can take part in these therapy sessions. Here are some popular options:

Source: rawpixel.com

Individual Therapy

This is exactly like it sounds. During individual therapy sessions, you meet with the therapist one-on-one. This can be helpful because you have the undevoted attention of your therapist. It can also make it easier to share because there is no one else that's listening in on your conversation.

Group Therapy

Group therapy is often a more affordable option for therapy because you are meeting as part of a larger group with the therapist. You don't have one-on-one attention, but you are in a group with other people that are dealing with some of the same struggles that you are dealing with. This can be very helpful in giving you examples of coping mechanisms that are helping others. It also helps to show you that you are not alone in your struggles.

Couples Therapy

If you are married or in a serious relationship and dealing with depression, it can help your therapist and your significant other if you participate in couples' therapy. This will help you learn how to handle your depression and your relationship and also help educate your loved one on what they can expect and can do to help the situation. It can help for them to hear what you are going through and for you to hear what your depression is like from their perspective. This can help clear up confusion such as letting them know that it's not that you don't want to spend time with them, just that your depression is causing you to want to withdraw from the world at the moment. It can be helpful for your loved one to learn that your depression is not about them.

Family Therapy

Sometimes it will benefit all parties involved for you to attend family therapy. This allows the therapist to see how you interact with your family as a whole and for them to spot any problem areas that could be addressed. It also helps your family to learn coping mechanisms as well.

There is also the chance that your therapist will think it's best to do a combination of these formats. If you are married, it could be helpful for your spouse to attend couples counseling with you several times while you still maintain your counseling as well.

Source: rawpixel.com

Find What Works Best for You

Fighting depression can seem overwhelming at times but know that there is always hope. Look for the type of therapy that works the best for you. If you prefer to meet in person with a therapist, then find one that is in your local area. If you want to be part of a group setting than you can search for groups or ask a therapist to recommend a group for you.

If the thought of leaving the house to meet with a therapist sounds overwhelming because of your depression, there are other options. There are solutions such as BetterHelp that allow you to get the benefit of therapy for your depression right from your own home. These companies provide you access to counselors and therapists that you can access via text message, emails, phone calls, and video chats. You don't have to leave your house, and you don't have to worry about getting dressed and out of bed. If you have a day where you are struggling, you can still get the help that you need.

It doesn't matter what form of therapy you choose as long as it's working for you. There is no one size fits all answer. Many people find that a mix of multiple things which could include medication, self-care, and therapy sessions is the answer that they need for depression, but it's different for each person. The first step in getting the help that you need is finding a therapist that can help you get started on the path to recovery and healing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are general methods used to treat depression?

There are different approaches to improve mental health through depression treatment. Most of the time, severe depression experts use a blended approach. The three broad methods used in treating people living with depression are:

Depression Medications

Also known as antidepressants, these drugs will ease feelings of hopelessness and sadness in people living with depression. Discussing with your physician concerning the use of antidepressants is vital so you can have adequate health information about their side effects. Please consult with your doctor or primary care physician before considering any medication options to improve your mental health.

Lifestyle Changes

Sometimes, a change in your lifestyle may be all you need when dealing with depression and looking to improve your mental health. Even with other treatment options, side effects will be tolerable as severe depression will subside faster when you make the necessary adjustment to your lifestyle.

Exercise

Engaging in frequent exercise can help people living with depression because it increases the level of endorphins, serotonin, and other biochemicals that make you feel good. The elevation in mood that comes with exercise has a positive effect on mental health. Exercise can be likened to a drug that has minimal side effects.

Support Groups. Joining support groups or keeping in touch with family and friends helps reduce seclusion, a critical factor implicated in most people living with depression.

Healthy eating is vital for your mental health and physical wellbeing. Contact your physician before taking any mood-boosting supplements to avoid severe side effects and increase your health information.
Sleep is a strong mood lifter. Inadequate sleep will increase the severity of depression. It also exacerbates moodiness, irritability, fatigue, and sadness. Simply getting adequate sleep will have a positive impact on your mental health.

Psychotherapy

Evaluating the psychological health of their patients is one other way that depression experts employ to treat depression and to improve mental health. The three most common psychotherapeutic methods for depression treatments are psychodynamic, interpersonal, and behavioral therapy. These have been routinely employed by a therapist to improve their patient’s mental health.

Other Less Employed Methods for Treating Depression

Electroconvulsive Therapy ECT

Electroconvulsive therapy ECT is part of brain stimulation therapies. It is a treatment for depression majorly used when treating patients living with severe bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder that did not resolve with the other depression treatment options. It involves short-lived brain stimulation while the depressed person is under the influence of anesthesia. Although electroconvulsive therapy is still controversial due to some observed side effects, its application has been proven beneficial to mental health.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-surgical method that utilizes magnetic fields to stimulate the neurons so that the symptoms of depression more apparent. TMS is typically employed when other treatment options have not been helpful in improving mental health in major depressive disorders. This usage is especially the case for patients living with "treatment-refractory" or resistant depression that responds poorly to first-line treatment. TMS is known to have little to no complaints of side effects.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Transcranial magnetic stimulation is another non-surgical method of stimulating the brain when treating major depressive disorders. TMS uses a varying magnetic field to initiate electric current at a specific part of the brain via electromagnetic induction. Thanks to its non-invasive nature, side effects are not a major concern of this method.

What are the 4 types of depression?

Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD)

PDD, short for Persistent depressive disorder is a mental illness characterized by the presence of depression symptoms for two or more years. It is also known as dysthymia and is a type of major depressive disorder.

Major Depressive Disorder

A major depressive disorder is the most popular type of depression. When an individual experiences this disorder, they lose pleasure and interest in their daily activities. It has been observed that people living with major depressive disorder experience most of the severe depression symptoms, like problems with their self-worth, concentration, energy, eating, or sleep. Therapy is always a first resort as patients complain of the side effects of some medications.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

About five percent of American adult has this medical condition. Sometimes called winter depression, SAD is a seasonal depression type. People living with this mental illness experience swings and symptoms of depression. The incidence of SAD in the winter months is because of the lesser intensity of sunlight and allows therapists early detection and concentrate human services.

Bipolar disorder: is one of the mood disorders which was previously called a manic depressive disorder, people living with bipolar disorder experience episodic depression. Similar to other types of major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that changes the energy and mood of a person living with it. Only that sometimes, they can experience times of elevated activity and high energy.

The symptoms that you'll experience during elevated activity and high energy periods include impulsive urge to take great risks, overspending, activity and thoughts carried out at a faster rate, decreased ability to sleep, and unjustifiable high self-esteem.

What Is the biggest cause of depression?

Major depressive disorder has no sole cause. It has different potential triggers and may arise due to a range of factors that negatively affect mental health over time. For certain folks, stressful and upsetting living conditions, like money or job worries, redundancy, illness, divorce, and bereavement, can cause it.

American Psychiatric Association shows that depression has a higher incidence in females than males. Although its prevalence is increasing, ways to treat depression are also increasing in effectiveness.

What Is the best medicine for depression?

Genetics is one of the critical determinants that decide how antidepressants can affect you. There are certain instances where genetic test results can provide you with insights on how your system may likely react to a specific antidepressant. Also, some factors, other than genetics, can affect how you respond to antidepressants.

That said, there is no single best medicine for major depressive disorder as side effects may vary in intensity based on the individual. This is not far from the fact that different sets of people have a particular type of antidepressant that does the job better for them. When opting for an antidepressant, these are some of the things that you want to consider:

Likely side effects
Your unique type of symptoms
Its interaction with other medicines.
If it helped a close relative
Breast-feeding or pregnancy.
Health insurance coverage and cost.
Other health conditions.

(Please consult with your doctor or primary care physician before considering any medication options)

What happens in the brain during depression?

Memory and Cortisol. A section of your brain known as the hippocampus releases the stress hormone, or cortisol when you feel stressed. Cortisol has a direct relationship with stress and has a negative effect on mental health over time. The continual increase in cortisol levels in the brain hinders the growth and development of new brain cells in the hippocampus.
The Amygdala and Cortisol. The continual increase in cortisol, courtesy to depression, can make the amygdala increase in size. Amygdala is the part of the brain that deals with emotional responses. A more active and larger amygdala leads to changes in the level of other hormones, alteration of activity levels, and also, sleep disturbance.
Brain inflammation. It is not exactly obvious whether inflammation leads to depression or is a trigger for it. But, certain researches have indicated a link between brain inflammation and people living with depression. One research study particularly outlined that individuals that have depression for more than a decade are thirty percent more likely to have brain inflammation. Brain inflammation deteriorates further with depression, negatively impacts memory and learning, and meddles with brain chemicals that regulate mood.
Hypoxia. Reduced oxygen, or hypoxia, has been associated with depression. When the brain does not have sufficient oxygen, it can lead to injury, inflammation, and death of the neurons.

Studies by the National Institute of Mental Health and American Psychiatric Association show an increased prevalence of depression in women compared to women. Drugs still remain a great way to treat people living with depression, but various factors like their side effects must be discussed with your doctor.

Do antidepressants help with confidence?

Individuals who take medications like Paxil report that they're more outgoing, less stressed, confident, and lively after taking drugs. One thing to note is that such drugs come with person-specific side effects that may alter their effect on different people.

Most antidepressants may modify two important personality traits associated with depression (extraversion and neuroticism) independently of their effect on depression symptoms. (Please consult with your doctor or primary care physician before considering any medication options).

Which age group has the highest rate of depression?

Depression is most frequent in young adults between 18 and 25 (10.9%) and people with a mixture of two or more races (10.5%). According to the WHO, American Psychiatric Association, and National Institute of Mental Health, men are twice less likely to have depression than women.

In one health information reported by the National Center for Disease Prevention and Control, from 2013 to 2016, about 10.4% of women are depressed while only 5.5% of men suffer from depression. Centers for disease management should thus consider women at higher risk for depression to target control and prevention strategies.

A doctor should examine the side effects of a drug and the age group and sex of the patient before choosing a medication for the treatment of depression. You can visit the American Psychiatric Association for more data on the prevalence of depression. This organization is the largest psychiatric organization in the world devoted to human services.

Systematic Desensitization: Therapy For Phobias

Signs Of A Bad Therapist: How To Know When To Move On

For Additional Help & Support With Your Concerns

Speak with a Licensed Counselor Today

The information on this page is not intended to be a substitution for diagnosis, treatment, or informed professional advice. You should not take any action or avoid taking any action without consulting with a qualified mental health professional. For more information, please read our terms of use.

Struggling With Depression? Therapy Can Help

Depression Medications

Previous Article

Next Article

Struggling With Depression? Therapy Can Help

Depression Medications

Previous Article

Next Article

Search Topics

Learn More

Category List

Related Articles