Depression
Depression is one of the most common mental health challenges amongst women that can impact nearly every aspect of our lives. Psychotherapy for Women understands that women face a unique set of challenges throughout their lives that can cause them to feel depressed in some way.
It’s also common to experience different levels of severity and symptoms of depression caused by:
- Strained or poor relationships with family, partners, and friends
- Work and life balance
- Life changes and transitions, such as pregnancy, fertility issues, postpartum, perimenopause, and menopause
- Motherhood stressors such as: parenting challenges, discipline, caring for sick or disabled children, problematic child behaviors, and the mental load of motherhood
- Isolation due to pregnancy, maternity leave, being a stay at home mom, or being a working mom
- Divorce or separation
- Grief and loss
- Caring for aging parents or sick partners
Regardless of what stressors you are currently facing, it’s not uncommon to feel down or depressed when going through challenging or unforeseen times. Have you ever wondered if you struggle with depression? Common symptoms look like:
- Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless.
- Having little interest or pleasure in doing things.
- Difficulty engaging in activities and interests you’ve previously enjoyed.
- Changes in sleeping habits, including sleeping more or less than usual.
- An increase or decrease in eating habits/hunger.
- Trouble concentrating.
- Feeling bad about yourself in some way.
- Thoughts that you are no good or are failing at something.
- Thinking you would be better off gone/deceased.
- Thoughts of wanting to harm yourself in some way.
- Using substances, high-risk behavior, and/or self-harm in an effort to feel better/relief.
- Isolating yourself from others.
We understand that depression can often feel isolating and scary. With proper support and coping strategies, we have seen time and time again that depression can be managed. When depression is left unaddressed or untreated, there are increased risks of:
- Feeling isolated or alone
- Feeling unable to cope or manage symptoms
- An increase or worsening of symptoms
- Intrusive, unwanted, and/or suicidal thoughts and feelings
- Any negative impact in activities of daily living, such as hygiene, eating, sleeping, and exercise
- Decrease in life satisfaction
To reduce the risk of an increase in symptoms and greater impact in daily functioning, seeking support through therapy is recommended. If you are someone who is struggling with symptoms of depression, reaching out for support can be a great first step at getting the help you desire. At Psychotherapy for Women, depression and its symptoms are something that we specialize in. We also have a unique emphasis on supporting and treating women with perinatal and postpartum depression and other mood disorders.
Here is what you can expect if you seek treatment for depression at Psychotherapy for Women:
- Supportive and compassionate listening from a therapist who understands depression
- Education on healthy coping tools to manage and reduce symptoms
- Assistance in identifying triggers and reducing your exposure to them, if possible
- Encouragement to engage in positive behaviors that can impact your mood and reduce feelings of depression
- Assistance making lifestyle changes to support your emotions and needs long-term
- Exploring and identifying your needs and education on how to better meet those needs
From your very first therapy appointment, our goal is to help you better understand your mood and manage depression symptoms, help you identify triggers of your discomfort, educate you on healthy coping tools, and encourage you to engage in more meaningful and fulfilling tasks to create a sense of happiness for yourself. We also focus on helping you challenge negative ways of thinking, improve your self-esteem, and focus on your own health and self-care needs with the goal of getting you back to a place that allows you to feel more happiness.
Get the help you need today
If you are struggling with symptoms of depression, having difficulty coping, and would like to feel happier and healthier overall, please reach out today to discuss how treatment at Psychotherapy for Women can help you accomplish those goals. Treatment is always tailored to meet your specific needs and goals from whatever phase of life you are currently in.