Do You Feel Emotionally And Creatively Stuck?

Have you been struggling with a lack of energy and motivation in your life? Do you feel like you just aren’t interested in the things you love anymore? Maybe it seems like you have to drag yourself everywhere, like it’s a struggle just to get out of bed, go to work, and perform your daily routine. Or perhaps you’ve been so invested in taking care of others—your children, your spouse, or close friends—that it feels like you’ve left yourself behind. Maybe you’ve neglected your own health. All your busyness has left you feeling physically tired, emotionally drained, and deeply, deeply sad.

When you’re living with depression, the signs aren’t always obvious, and it’s easy to mistake them for something else. Perhaps you feel lazy—you sit down to do something creative, but you feel no passion or inspiration. Or maybe you feel unsociable, constantly saying no to dates and outings with friends for no good reason. You may even experience headaches, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, or changes in your eating habits.

Whether it’s a creative malaise, general reclusiveness, or bodily aches and pains, the symptoms of depression look different for each person. It’s often hard to know how they’re affecting you. This is why it’s important to seek help. With the insight and support of SMPsychotherapy & Counseling, you can learn how depression impacts your day-to-day functioning and restore your sense of optimism and self-confidence.

Depression Is Widespread—But Not Always Easy To Spot

Depression affects people all over the world today, and it’s no surprise why. Most of us simply face too many pressures and responsibilities to keep up. We struggle to find time for self-care. When we do, we often feel guilty—like we should be caring for others, not ourselves. Put simply, many of us suffer from Superman or Superwoman syndrome: we invest in everyone else’s lives so much, we feel like we’re not supposed to have time for ourselves. All too often, this leaves us feeling drained and exhausted and ends up aggravating depression.

No matter how much you distract yourself with others’ needs and day-to-day busyness, your symptoms won’t magically disappear. After all, depression doesn’t automatically correct itself, even if your situation in life improves. This is because depression stems from entrenched thought patterns that often have little to do with your current circumstances. Sometimes, it has more to do with genetics, family history, or unaddressed trauma from the past.

By yourself, however, it’s hard to trace depression to its proper source. Thankfully, with our deeply empathetic, research-driven approach to therapy, you can understand the roots of depression and learn how to overcome the symptoms getting in the way of your best life.

Gain Insight Into Your Feelings And Find Compassionate Treatment For Your Depression

Oftentimes, it’s hard to understand where our feelings come from or how they affect us in real time. With SMPsychotherapy & Counseling, you’ll gain insight into the causes and effects of your depression. We’ll help you understand how your thoughts impact your feelings, how your feelings affect your behavior, and how your behavior influences your level of satisfaction in life. You’ll be able to recognize the signs of depression and learn practical, real-life skills to alleviate symptoms.

In the first session, we’ll conduct an assessment of the needs and goals you have for counseling. Afterwards, we’ll co-create a treatment plan, revising it every three months or as often as you find necessary. In our sessions, you’ll learn strategies for shifting your mindset and working through painful emotions. With depression, for instance, it’s often easy to feel guilty—as if you brought your struggles on yourself, or you’re selfish for focusing on yourself. We want to help you understand that depression is not your fault. And taking care of your feelings isn’t selfish, but essential—the same way you’d see a doctor if you were feeling sick.

While counseling looks different for each person, one of the fundamental approaches we use is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). At its core, CBT examines how correcting negative thought patterns can prevent depressive emotions from controlling your life. Additionally, we often utilize mindfulness therapy to help you stay relaxed, grounded, and present in the moment. This can be done through meditation, deep-breathing exercises, and a wide range of other calming techniques.
When you’re depressed, it’s easy to feel like your brain is stuck, like you’ll never break out of the same old patterns and behaviors. With the right coping skills and a healthy support system, however, you really can overcome depression. Here at SMPsychotherapy, we will help you identify negative thoughts, manage your stressors, and make an emotional, creative breakthrough.

You may have some questions about depression treatment…

Is there medication involved?

As therapists, we are not licensed to prescribe. That said, we recognize the benefits of medication and will encourage you to pursue it if you want to. Medication is not a one-size-fits-all treatment, however. There are a wide range of pharmaceutical interventions for depression, and their effects aren’t the same for every person. If you’re interested in taking medication, we recommend you consult a psychiatrist or your family physician about which options are best for treating depression.

Will depression treatment actually work?

Therapy isn’t magic—but then again, nothing is. If you come in with a willingness to learn and grow, however, we are confident you can achieve your goals and conquer your symptoms. Everyone’s timetable for healing is different, of course, so don’t beat yourself up if you feel like your progress is slow. The important thing is the progress itself, not how long it takes.

What if I can’t afford depression treatment?

Therapy costs money, but the question you have to ask yourself is whether the costs outweigh the benefits. If you’re struggling with depression, your mental health won’t just heal on its own. By paying a small price now, you can avoid worrying about the larger cost of worsening depression in the future. If you suffer from low-grade to severe Depression, counseling can help you increase productivity, develop healthier relationships, and—most importantly—feel at peace with yourself as you go forward in life.

Experience The Emotional, Creative Breakthrough You’ve Been Longing For

If depression is holding you back in life, therapy can help you reframe your perspective and restore your sense of joy for years to come. To get started, you can call 203.800.9778 or send us an email. Currently, because of COVID-19, all our depression therapy sessions will be conducted online. We look forward to speaking with you!