Depression Treatment

It is difficult to watch your parent struggle with depression. It's not that depression is contagious, but when one person in the family is depressed, it affects the other members of the family. As evidence of that fact, parents gets frustrated and anxious that they can't help themselves.  

So, what is depression and how is it recognized in a parent? Depression feels like an overwhelmingly dark and deep pit of despair. It's symptoms include:

• Feelings of sadness or emptiness most of the day

• Diminished interest in activities once found pleasurable

• Sleeplessness

• Feeling agitated or irritated

• Decreased energy or feeling slowed or weighed down

• Feelings of worthlessness, powerlessness, helplessness

• A false sense of guilt

• Unexplained aches and pains

• Inability to concentrate or focus or make decisions

• Recurring thoughts of death or suicide. 

Once you have recognised that your partner is suffering from more than just a bad case of the 'blues', it can be challenging to think about where to go for depression help and where to find the most effective depression treatment. It is very common for people with depression to feel helpless and hopeless, and to believe that there is no solution to their problems- this is a symptom of the depression.

Apart from contacting a mental health professional who may prescribe anti-depressant medication, depression help should also consist of talking therapy. A qualified therapist can help by listening to the thoughts and beliefs of the person who suffers from depression, and this can help in more ways than one.

A therapist is able to actively listen and assist your partner in identifying limiting behaviour patterns and belief systems that perpetuate the depression. Quite often this may be embedded in childhood experiences, when parts of our personality are shaped by the environment we are raised in and strongly influenced by the characteristics of our parents.

By reflecting back a client's difficulties and emotions, a therapist can help an individual recognise how certain situations in a person's life have resulted in similar outcomes over and over again, and gradually, help the individual to challenge those deeply held beliefs to break the pattern of dysfunction. This is the type of depression help that proves most effective, when used in combination with medication as required.

A therapist qualified to provide depression treatment is also able to help a person living with depression to identify the triggers and cycles of their condition, and importantly how to manage those triggers and use their support networks to get through difficult times.

It is unfortunate that many people with depression believe that taking medication will be a cure-all, when the underlying causes of their depression remain. Even with medication, there will inevitably be causes of stress that must be handled, life changes, and ups and downs within the disorder itself that medication on its own does not necessarily compensate for.

By working through various situations, a therapist can help people with depression equip themselves with valuable strategies and healthy coping mechanisms in an ongoing way. In this way, when a person with depression starts to feel a situation of stress building, they are better armed to deal with it, without spiralling down into a negative state.

Depression is incredibly common and many people suffer the symptoms alone, even for years at a time, for fear others will not understand what they are going through or that they may be told to simply 'snap out of it'. On average, one in five people will experience depression at some point in their lives, so it is a reality and finding depression help is vitally important. In considering the most beneficial depression treatment, a trained therapist should always be sought as part of an overall approach to handling the symptoms of this common condition.

Help is available. Call MindTalk and help your partner get rid of depression today.

Depression can occur in anyone from young children to senior citizens. Depression is tough to deal with as an adult and even more so with children. Children, even teens often have trouble describing their feelings. Children become moody and withdraw from things. Sometimes, Depression in children can be dismissed as the child being a "typical teenager." We are going to take a look at some signs of Depression in young children, behavioral changes that might be noted, and getting treatment for your child. 

Signs of depression in your child could be

• Sadness - may cry easily, withdraw from family and friends, worry too much, and have anger outbursts.

• Loss of interest - may quit sports suddenly, complaints of boredom, refusal to participate in activities they usually like.

• Anxiety - may be nervous and panicky; the source of the anxiety could because of their depression.

• Negativity - may put self down, statements such as "I know I'm going to fail." A child may have low self-esteem.

• Worthlessness/ guilt - Obsessed with faults and failures, may magnify the depth of those, exhibit extreme guilt and feelings of being worthless and having no value.

• Isolation - withdrawal from family and friends, withdrawal from sports and activities as was mentioned, may spend a lot of time in their room, may have suicidal thoughts and/or attempts.

• Changes in sleep - either getting too much or not enough along with falling asleep in school/class.

• Self Injury - may cause pain to self, (burning, cutting themselves)

It is important that if you suspect your child may be depressed to get help immediately. It is important to ask them questions and talk about how they may be feeling. Discuss the concept of chemical imbalance in the brain to them at their level. You can contact a mental health professional for more detailed tips on helping your child cope with their depression. Counseling or psychotherapy may be required and even recommended.

Medications could be prescribed but be warned antidepressants have been known to cause children up to the age 21 - to have suicidal thoughts. Your child must be monitored closely while on medication for this reason. For more assistance on treating depression in your child, please feel free to reach us out today. 

Due to the large number of depressed people in the world at the moment, it is likely that you have a friend who is suffering from depression. The question is, do you know how to help that friend out? It has become increasingly critical for everyone to understand how to deal with someone who is depressed. Who knows, the person who gets helped out may even be you.

The most important thing is that if a buddy approaches you and tells you they are feeling depressed, you have to listen to them, not avoid the discussion. You should inquire as to why your friend feels this way.

As soon as they start telling you why, you should tell them what you really think. Often, everyone needs is a shoulder to cry on or someone to simply listen and understand rather than tell them what they are doing wrong.

If the friend sounds like they might be considering doing harm to themselves or discuss this in anyway, you have to pay attention. You should try and stay with them until you are sure they are feeling OK. If they claim they are not interested in discussing it, then they really don't want to. You should make sure you are there for them in their hour of need and try not to be too nosy.