Treatment and support for different types of low mood
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Sadness is an emotion that can be described as being down, blue, sorrowful or mournful, low in energy and maybe tearful. It is often the result of being hurt or experiencing a loss or unmet expectations. Sadness is a natural response to loss. In therapy, sadness has a particular treatment approach.
However depression is very different to sadness, and needs to be treated differently in therapy. Depression is a condition that affects the whole person, emotionally, physically and cognitively. Often when people are depressed they have very negative thoughts about themselves (i.e. I am worthless), about the future (it is hopeless) and about others/ the world. This self hatred is not so often present when sadness is around.
If you are sad we can usually manage to distract, or do something to change our sad mindset – whereas depression can feel like a heavy blanket covering you from head to toe. It can infect your emotions like a virus to the point that you stop feeling anything and live in a vortex of numb detachment. This state is called ‘Anhedonia’. A person with depression will find it very hard to ‘snap out of it’ (despite a desperate desire to feel differently).
Depression can bring a sense of darkness to life, like a black cloud hanging over you. Activities that were once enjoyable hold no interest anymore. You may be more tearful, or angry, have changes in your sleep, eating and energy.
Therapy is about a journey of recovery, of claiming back the real you from depression and building a life of value
In our service we consider the potential the biological, psychological and social triggers for depression, and design your therapy accordingly. For example, stressful life events can sometimes trigger depression. Such things as a marriage break ups, isolation, prolonged work stress, living in an uncaring relationship, neglect or abuse in childhood.
However depression can be triggered by internal physical problems such as poor diet, drugs/ alcohol, excessive stress, hormone issues, lack of certain vitamins/ minerals, Celiac disease, poor sleep, physical illness, ageing brain. It is important that your therapist rules out physical causes for your depression.
Full recovery from depression is possible. Research has demonstrated that a personalised therapeutic approach is extremely powerful in overcoming depression.
