You feel exhausted, isolated from your family and friends and nothing seems enjoyable anymore. In fact, you have wondered if these are symptoms of depression.
Most days or perhaps every day feels like a burden. You may have difficulty waking in the morning or getting to sleep. You have started to withdraw from your family, your loved ones, co-workers and friends. Seeing them feels like the last thing you want to do. You may feel so depressed that you are starting to explore ways out of work or other responsibilities. Parenting takes every ounce of energy you can muster. Perhaps you are experiencing a lot of negative self talk and in some cases, you feel self hatred.
You question if anyone will actually understand what you are experiencing. Perhaps your spouse or partner has recommended that you go to counseling for depression. However, you are just not convinced that talking about your problems will change them. You have tried to work through it on your own but the lack of interest and exhaustion are still there.
Depression is common and treatable. In fact, more than 16 million American adults have major depressive disorder in any given year.
We all are going to experience difficult moments in our lives that will leave us feeling sad or blue. And often, we are able to recover from these experiences. However, those who experience deeper, more intense lows without recovery may be experiencing some form of depression. In many cases, it’s really difficult to explain why the depression is there particularly if there isn’t a precipitating event such as a death of a loved, relationship break up, job loss or some other catastrophic life event. Depression without that source is common but also maddening for those who experience it. As a result, living with depression symptoms can be a lonely experience. In fact, it leaves many people feeling hopeless and in some cases with thoughts of suicide or self harm.
As a Cincinnati, OH based mental health counseling practice, Launch Point Counseling provides effective counseling and therapy services for individuals who may be experiencing depression symptoms or signs of depression.
What causes depression?
In the midst of all these depression symptoms, you have begun to wonder what even makes you feel this way. Perhaps you typically think of yourself as a pretty optimistic person. So why can’t you shake these negative thoughts, exhaustion and lack of motivation?
As a male counselor who specializes in depression, I’m aware that there is no simple explanation for what causes depression. It turns out that depression is often caused by a variety of factors including but not limited to biological, environmental or situational forces. Some of these factors include a genetic predisposition to depression (i.e. having a depressed parent), having experienced trauma, a serious medical condition, substance use, or a major life transition.
Even with knowledge that all of these factors can contribute to the development of a depressive disorder, it may not answer all of your questions. In fact, it may be really difficult for you to pinpoint the cause of your depression.
What is clinical depression? What are signs of depression?
We often talk about depression as a single concept or idea. The reality is that it’s a collection of a variety of disorders that exist along a spectrum. The most commonly diagnosed form of depression is Major Depressive Disorder, and it affects more than 16 million American adults. Major Depressive Disorder is diagnosed if you’re experiencing some combination of the following symptoms:
Persistent sad, anxious or "empty" mood
Isolation from family, friends and colleagues
Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities, including sex
Decreased energy, fatigue, feeling "slowed down"
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
Low appetite and weight loss or overeating and weight gain
Thoughts of death or suicide, suicide attempts
Restlessness, irritability
Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders and pain for which no other cause can be diagnosed.
If you recognize any of these depression symptoms in either yourself or a family member, consider scheduling an appointment with Launch Point Counseling to get started with depression treatment. Launch Point Counseling is located in Cincinnati, OH. We will explore your depression symptoms and their impact, what you hope to get out of depression counseling and how we can help.
In addition to clinical depression, what are other depressive disorders?
In addition to major depressive disorder, there are several other depressive disorders and mood disorders that include depressive like symptoms:
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (specific to adolescents)
Depression treatment can help you manage and overcome symptoms of depression, so that you can start living the life you desire
You recognize that your daily experience with depression is not who you are but rather what you are experiencing. The good news is that depression is a treatable disorder and illness, and there is a lot of research out there that lays the groundwork for how to best tackle it. Some of the more common therapeutic approaches include:
Counseling or therapy, specifically Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Interpersonal Process Therapy (IPT)
Psychiatric medication commonly known as anti-depressants
Support and family groups that focus on psycho-education
Holistic approaches to health and wellness including exercise, nutrition, acupuncture, yoga and more
At Launch Point Counseling in Cincinnati, OH, we will begin treating your depression by exploring the thoughts, feelings and behaviors that are associated with your pain. We will begin to unpack and re-frame the negative, irrational thinking patterns and self-limiting behaviors that are affecting your ability to feel good and function well. With increased self-awareness and mindfulness, we can begin to identify ways in which you want to change and grow. Regardless if it’s incremental progress or significant change, we will strive to move forward together. Treatment of depression varies and is individualized to meet your specific needs. It is possible to recover from your depression and to begin living your life with energy, purpose and on your terms.
What can you expect in depression counseling and therapy?
If you are ready to take the first step in changing your life and finding your own “Launch Point”, below is what you can expect when you come to counseling and therapy for depression:
Space to share and explore your depression symptoms and how these symptoms affect your day to day functioning.
Unconditional support and positive guard. At Launch Point Counseling in Cincinnati, OH, our time getting to know one another and building a strong, therapeutic relationship is at the core of creating change.
Clarity regarding what your goals and objectives are. When you begin counseling, we will spend time exploring a pathway forward so that you can begin to feel relief from the depression.
Development of coping skills to navigate the obstacles that prevent you from getting from Point A to Point B. These obstacles might be internal and specific to you or external and specific to your family, home, workplace or some other environmental factor.
An opportunity to have meaningful dialogue, time to ask questions and frequent check ins about progress. At Launch Point Counseling in Cincinnati, OH, we value your time. We want to make sure that you are achieving what it is that motivated you to make that first phone call and schedule that first appointment.
You are still unsure if depression counseling will help.
If you have never experienced depression counseling before, it is very common to be unsure, nervous or even skeptical. At Launch Point Counseling in Cincinnati, OH, we have worked with many individuals who weren’t entirely sure if counseling and therapy for depression would be a good fit. Some of the more common questions or concerns we receive are listed below:
I have a really busy work schedule. I don’t know that I have enough time for depression counseling.
At Launch Point Counseling in Cincinnati, OH, we recognize that in this modern, global world, we are busier than ever. There are numerous obligations, forms of media and people to distract us. If you find that your work performance, relationships or even self esteem are suffering, one of hour depression treatment a week is a small investment of time to help you take a deep breath and identify a path to help you move forward.
I’m used to doing things on my own and I’m not sure you can help me with my depression.
Counseling is not meant to create dependence; in fact it’s the opposite! The goal of depression treatment is to equip you with the tools and skills to overcome the obstacles that are in the way of your success. We are here to support that process but you are the one making the changes and putting in the work to see results. While you may not be comfortable asking for help, the goal is to help you feel and become more independent.
I’m worried about the cost of getting help for depression. Is it even worth it?
The value of depression counseling may depend upon how much you value your well being, your productivity and the quality of your relationships. If these areas are suffering, the money you spend for counseling is an investment in you. At Launch Point Counseling in Cincinnati, OH, we can also create a plan that is a fit for your budget. While many folks attend weekly, some decide to step down to biweekly as they are making progress and accomplishing their goals.
Are we just going to sit there and talk about my depression? What does depression treatment actually look like?
Counseling can look very different from client to client, therapist to therapist. But in general, the early stages of depression counseling include a lot of information gathering and relationship building. The relationship between client and counselor is at the core of this process. At Launch Point Counseling in Cincinnati, OH, we will eventually transition into goal setting and treatment planning, so that we have a path forward. It is imperative that we continue to check in with each other to ensure that you are making progress and getting value out of your depression therapy experience.
You can live a life worth living. We can help you experience relief from depression.
We serve communities in and around Cincinnati, OH.
While you may feel isolated and depressed at this time, it is important to know that you are not alone—we will walk this journey with you from the moment you contact us through your entire counseling experience. The counseling process is intentional; it is designed to create meaningful, sustainable change. Depression counseling, also known as depression therapy, gives us the space to begin to peel back the layers of some of the issues that reinforce your depression at a pace that works for you. As our work together evolves, you will develop more self awareness, identify cognitive and behavioral changes you want to make, and then we will put those changes into action TOGETHER. Depression counseling is very much a partnership between you and the counselor. If you are located in a local Cincinnati community, consider scheduling a counseling appointment with Launch Point Counseling.
To get started with Depression Counseling today…
Schedule your depression counseling appointment
Meet with Brad Fittes, a caring, trusting male counselor to explore your depressive symptoms
Start living your best life!
Other Counseling Services at Launch Point Counseling in Cincinnati, OH
Counseling and therapy for depression isn’t the only service that we offer at the Cincinnati counseling location. Other mental health services at Launch Point Counseling include teen counseling, counseling for young adults, men’s counseling and anxiety counseling. You have the motivation, wisdom and self awareness to begin depression therapy today and experience relief and progress—we will walk this journey with you!