What is depression?
Depression consists of one or more of the following symptoms:
- Little to no energy
- Not feeling like doing anything
- Feeling flat; experiencing little to no emotions
- No interest in joyful activities
- A feeling of dreariness that persists
- Possible suicidal thoughts
- Weight gain or loss
Being in a depression means supressing all your feelings, the good and the bad emotions. Life becomes grey and sombre. A depression can be experienced in different degrees of intensity. Some people have good days every now and then and can feel a bit happy sometimes and other people continue to feel sombre without hope of ever getting better. It may be that you continue to pass for others, but feel little motivation for yourself.
Where does depression come from?
Depression often comes from a combination of a few different factors. A genetic component can be a factor, some families carry a hereditary burden which makes them more prone to depression. Life events also usually play a part. If you’ve experienced a lot of loss or trauma in your life, depressive symptoms can play a part in the process.
Depression is often a survival strategy that you needed at some point in your life. Let’s say that you grew up in an environment, for example, where there was no room for emotions or that you’ve experienced an event that was simply too overwhelming to process. In those cases, being able to shut off completely is a very good survival strategy for your system. It helps you survive. Only now, when there is more safety to start feeling again, your system will find it difficult to accept that.
The treatment of depression
It’s possible to come out of the depression and experience joy in life again. The treatment of depression consists of a couple of different components that we combine in a way that fits you best:
Explanation
Explanation how depression works in the brain and your whole system.
Research
Exploring the original usefulness of the depression symptoms.
Recognition
Getting to know your inner life again and helping to process things from the past.
Practical
Practical ways to get your life active again in a daily manner.
Living life again
No matter how deep the hole that you are in seems, it is possible to get out of it, step by step. Together with you I want to explore how you can live your life again instead of surviving.
At Psychologist Groningen you can plan regular sessions or plan a package of three sessions with which you can work on a specific question. For example: “How can I handle my depression differently?”
And if you already want to get to work on your own, take a look at the following resources.
Do you want to get started on your recovery?
Take a look at the following resources:
Effect of Unloving Parents
A short film about how depression can originate and why that’s not your fault (5:32 min).
5 Talks about depression
Depression is something usually suffered alone, these talks might open up a way to share with others and hear how they coped.
Suicide
prevention
If you’re thinking about suicide, you can get in touch with 113 Suicide prevention at every moment of the day.