Depression Counseling in Tampa
What is Depression?
Depression is a process of subtraction. It steadily siphons away the energy and desire that motivate you to seek out joy in life. As depression lingers, your life becomes diminished, gradually growing smaller and more confined.
Depression Symptoms
You’re overwhelmed by a relentless sense of hopelessness. You’ve lost faith that you’ll ever feel better, or you’re certain that any reprieve will only be temporary.
You’re numb and no longer feel pleasure. Old interests and hobbies no longer hold your interest, and your relationships feel flat and hollow.
You sleep the day away or struggle with insomnia. You lose the desire to eat or seem always to be snacking. You either can’t sit still or find yourself moving sluggishly.
You’re tired all the time, and you can’t concentrate. Your brain is clouded in fog.
You’re preoccupied with feelings of worthlessness, guilt, and shame. You suspect you’d be better off dead, or you simply “don’t want to be here” anymore. You may even be thinking of ending your life.
If you experience any of these symptoms, you are not alone.
17.3 million adults have had at least one major depressive episode. Of these 17.3 million, 63.8% had a severe episode. (National Institute of Mental Health, 2017)
Counseling can help.
The Anatomy of Depression
Depression is a combination of biological and psychological factors. Medication addresses the biological underpinnings of depression – the fatigue, the brain fog, the sleep and appetite disturbance – and can be quite effective. But it’s not enough.
Counseling addresses the psychological factors that feed depression.
When we experience strong and uncomfortable emotions, such as anger, fear, or disappointment, the natural response is to shut those emotions down.
But you can’t shut down emotions selectively – it’s all or nothing. In shutting down difficult feelings, you also shut down feelings that make life worth living.
My Depression Therapy
As your counselor, I’ll help you tolerate difficult emotions. You’ll gain healthy copings skills, allowing you to accept your feelings as they are, rather than relying on defense mechanisms to avoid them. I’ll help you challenge your negative self-appraisal and see yourself for who you truly are – an individual of grace and dignity.
Once your depression begins to lift, we can explore the factors underlying it. You’ll ask, and find answers to, some big questions:
What do I need to say – and to whom – that I’ve never been able to say out loud before?
What do I need to let go of, and what do I need to let in?
What do I need to forgive, in myself and in others?
Who am I, really, and what do I want my life to be?