Shoreham depression counsellor, Malcolm Bateup, explains what depression is, the types, what to look for and the benefits of counselling.
What Is Depression?
Depression is a mood disorder and should be taken seriously. There are many people who will have had one major depressive time in the last year.
Depression affects how you feel, think, interact with other people, and handle normal day life. It can lead to extreme sadness and a complete loss of interest or enjoyment in things you once loved.
It can affect anyone and can occur at any age. However, it most commonly starts in adulthood.
Depression is something that is highly treatable, with up to 90% of people eventually responding to different treatments. One of the reasons depression is highly responsive to treatments is because improvement can be seen from psychotherapy, counselling, medications, or a combination.
Finding the right counsellor who is able to help you work through and understand the underlying causes of your depression as well as finding ways to cope with the symptoms is the usual place to start feeling better.
Types Of Depression
Diagnosing depression involves an evaluation process with a physician or mental health professional.
In general, in order to be diagnosed with depression, the symptoms need to be present for a minimum of two weeks. But, many people have the symptoms much longer before they realise they need help.
There are numerous types of depressive disorders including persistent depressive disorder, major depressive disorder, and postnatal depressive disorder.
Do I Have Depression?
For some, it can be difficult to understand whether or not they actually have depression. Even if you are just concerned, it could be worth seeking support. No matter how trivial you feel your problems are, you are worthy of help.
Talking to a professional, whether it’s a doctor or counselling service, can help you to learn what you need. This can range from breathing exercises and self-help tips to medication and psychotherapy. Every person is different so everyone needs something different.
What Does Depression Feel Like?
If you have depression, then you will experience at least five of these symptoms:
- Worthlessness
- Like life isn’t worth living
- Anxious, tearful and worried constantly
- Lack of concentration
- Indecisive
- Intolerant and irritated by others
- Like you don’t enjoy life
- Low Self-esteem
- Excessive guilt
- No motivation
- No Interest in things you used to enjoy
You may also experience:
- Chronic pain
- Loss of libido
- Change to your sleeping patterns
- Change in your eating habits
- Loss of energy
- Tiredness
- Slower speaking
- Changes to your menstrual cycle
- Loss of productivity
- Taking part in fewer social activities
You may not notice that you have developed depression, especially if it has been gradual. It can often take a family member, friend, or partner to point out that you’re not being yourself.
Why Do We Become Depressed?
Sometimes it can be apparent what the cause is, however, other times there are no obvious reasons. It might be that you have lost something or someone, or you have experienced disappointment.
Usually, there will be more than just the one reason you suffer from depression. These reasons differ from one person to the next.
Some reasons include:
- Distressing life events
- Bereavement
- Childhood experiences
- Anger
- Personal circumstances
- Alcohol
- Heavy drinking on a regular basis
- Physical illness
- Hormonal problems e.g. an underactive thyroid
- Viral infections
- Painful or lasting illnesses
- Life-threatening conditions
When Should You Get Help For Depression?
If you experience depression symptoms for the majority of your day, for longer than two weeks, you should speak to your doctor.
If your thoughts and feelings start to impact on many parts of your life, it’s an indication you need professional support.
Depression may impact:
- Relationships
- Work
- Interests
- An overall sense of happiness and enjoyment
- Thoughts of suicide and self-harm
For many, getting treatment can seem impossible, but the sooner you get help the better. Living without treatment can have a massive effect on your health and well-being.
To begin with, your doctor will diagnose the condition, by looking at your general health and ruling out other health problems such as an underactive thyroid. From there, the necessary support and treatment can be given.
Treating Depression
Depression is commonly treated with antidepressants, counselling, or a combination of both.
There are many types of antidepressant medications available. It can take some time to get the right one for you, so working closely with your doctor is important. Even with the right mediations, counselling is often when you see the biggest improvement in how you feel.
Treating depression with counselling has proven helpful in both short-term and long-term causes of depression Just like with medication there are many types of therapy to choose from such as:
- Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT)
- Interpersonal therapy (IPT)
- Psychodynamic psychotherapy
- Problem-solving therapy
Counselling For Depression
The severity and length of the episodes and symptoms of depression will usually determine the type of counselling needed.
If you have had depression for a length of time and your symptoms are severe, speaking to a psychiatrist or psychologist (PsyD) may be needed as they deal more with issues from the past that may be deeply rooted in your present-day feelings.
If your symptoms are more recent or not as severe, then building a counselling relationship with a therapist may be the best root.
How Can Counselling Help Depression
During a counselling session, your therapist will use talk therapy to help you learn to understand and work through the issues that are having a negative impact on your life.
Their job is to listen, provide feedback, and help you to develop coping strategies. They will also keep track of your progress and adjust your treatment accordingly. You may be asked to complete homework that goes further than your counselling sessions. This is usually tracking your feelings and moods.
Counselling for depression has a big focus on present thoughts, feelings, and behaviours and how they are affecting your life currently. This is why CBT is commonly used.
In CBT sessions, the therapist will help you to change your negative thinking as these could be making your symptoms of depression worse. The focus is usually goal-orientated, with you taking a role.
CBT is usually seen as a short-term form of counselling and is often the number one choice for therapists when working with people who have mild to moderate cases of depression.
Evidence suggests that CBT works well in counselling for depression. It has also been proven that it can help to minimise the risk of a relapse or recurrence of depression after counselling has stopped.
Interpersonal therapy (IPT) is another short-term method used in counselling for depression. It focuses on interpersonal conflict and lack of social support,
These can lead to feelings of depression. IPT can help you communicate better and learn how to address issues that make your symptoms of depression worse. Evidence suggests that it is an effective treatment, and could help to prevent new disorders.
How To Find A Counsellor
Finding the right counsellor for you to work with may take some time. When it comes to treating depression with counselling, a strong relationship between the patient and counsellor is the key to it being successful.
It is important to be patient and remember to be open. You may need to see a few different people before you find the right person with who you can develop a good working relationship with.
If you are unsure of where to start looking, a great place is with your doctor. You can also choose to contact a larger mental facility in your local area or online.
You should spend some time researching and talking to different counsellors. Spend some time online and read the information on their websites. Ask for more information about their methods of treatment and they work with clients.
One form of counselling that has increased in popularity and works well for mild cases of depression is online counselling.
The popularity of it has only increased in the last few years and has accelerated considerably in the current pandemic.
There many online resources counsellors who are able to support you through a desktop or mobile device, with a variety of services and sessions. They can help to work through your issues related to depression and help you form coping strategies.
Living with depression can sometimes be overwhelming. Choosing to work with a mental health expert and build a strong relationship with a counsellor can provide you with a safe environment. In this environment, you are able to identify thoughts, feelings, and regular patterns of behaviour that could be contributing to your symptoms. Counselling can also help you identify and learn new coping techniques and skills to manage your symptoms successfully.
Short-term counselling is usually completed in six months or less and is used commonly with mild to moderate depression. If you feel like you may see a benefit from counselling for depression, the first step is to talk to your doctor for a referral.
Finding a counselling service that you can trust and feel comfortable talking to. This is a critical part of succeeding in the counselling process.
Depression counselling with Malcom Bateup
As a qualified and experienced counsellor, Malcolm Bateup regularly works with clients suffering from depression based issues and anxiety disorder.
MB Counselling is based in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex. Malcolm offers a range of counselling services including face to face at his Shoreham treatment room, walk and talk and online counselling.
Please contact us to have a free initial chat.
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