Depression

Finding Help for Depression

Depression is a common mental health challenge, affecting millions of Americans from every walk of life annually. When a person’s mental health isn’t at its best, it affects them in subtle and overt ways, limiting their enjoyment of life and ability to work, as well as perform day-to-day tasks. The good news about depression is that it’s treatable, and you can find effective treatment options for depression in Mansfield, Texas.

Some Signs and Symptoms of Depression

There are different kinds of depression, including major depressive disorder, which people often refer to as depression or clinical depression. There is also seasonal affective disorder, which is a form of depression with close links to seasonal changes, especially the fall and winter months, when there is less sunlight in the northern hemisphere. There’s postpartum depression, which can occur after childbirth, and is deeper than the so-called ‘baby blues.’

There are other types of depression, and they may have more specific signs and symptoms attached to them. However, there is a cluster of symptoms that depression typically displays. Be on the lookout for these and seek help as soon as possible. Reach out to a Christian counselor in Mansfield, Texas, to get the help you need to address depression. Some of the signs to look out for include the following:

• Loss of interest This includes losing interest in hobbies or other activities that you used to find enjoyable
• Irritability and anger Depression may manifest as being agitated, restless, irritable, and angry. Often, anger is a key symptom of depression, and they may also become more controlling and aggressive than before, causing distress to family members.
• Guilt or shame Feelings of shame and guilt without any reasonable cause
• Hopelessness, worthlessness A person may also experience a lack of hope or feel like they are worthless, inadequate, or incompetent, despite evidence to the contrary.
• Changes in appetite This may be a loss of appetite or an unexplained increase in appetite, which results in unplanned weight gain or weight loss.
• Sleep disruptions Depression will often result in sleep disruptions such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, or oversleeping.
• Fatigue Despite sleeping a lot, one may still feel tired, sluggish, or lack the energy to do things like self-care. There may be a loss of motivation or desire to do things, get out, or work.
• Cognitive effects Depression can affect how a person thinks, and that includes making it harder to concentrate, procrastinating more, struggling to remember things, and finding it harder to make decisions. They may experience more negative thinking and self-talk and struggle with effective problem-solving.
• Thoughts of death or suicide Depression may result in a person thinking about death or suicide and making suicide attempts.

Depression is serious; there is help available in the form of therapy, and you can reach out to a Christian counselor in Mansfield, Texas, with training in walking with people through depression. If you see these signs in yourself or a loved one, try and seek help as soon as possible.

Finding Help for Depression

One of the main ways to address depression is through talk therapy. In talk therapy, your counselor finds out your story to understand your current situation. Using various techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy, your counselor can help you unpack the patterns of thought and behavior that fuel the depression, and you can replace these with healthier patterns that promote your health and well-being.

In cases of moderate to severe depression, which hinders one’s ability to function well or take care of oneself, there are various medications available to reduce symptoms. Typically, medication will be combined with therapy to effectively address depression. If you want to address depression and reclaim your well-being, reach out to Mansfield Christian Counseling to receive the help you need.