• Are you struggling to feel and function well?
• Are you feeling depleted, defeated, discouraged or chronically empty?
• Have you been withdrawing from loved ones, feeling too emotionally drained to connect with others?
• Do you have trouble concentrating, being productive or completing basic tasks?
• Do you wake up feeling exhausted and dreading the day?

Living with adult depression can be a painful and isolating experience. Adult depression can make it difficult to experience joy, complete day-to-day tasks and to engage with the people in your life, even those closest to you. Eating and sleeping patterns can be disrupted, and self-medicating behaviors – such as using drugs or alcohol, shopping excessively or turning to food to self-soothe – can develop. When you’re depressed, a deep sense of isolation may encompass you, and feelings of guilt, shame and self-criticism can also ensue. It’s common for people struggling with depression to blame themselves for feeling so miserable, which can lead to further isolation and self-judgment, creating a downward spiral into despair.

Many people struggle with depression.

We all experience setbacks throughout life, which can trigger depression-like symptoms. In times of high stress or grief, it’s normal to feel frustrated, overwhelmed or really sad. How we handle these setbacks, however, is influenced by our support systems, personal resilience coping skills and general mental and physical health. While some people can bounce back from setbacks with relative ease, others find it more difficult. If feelings of extreme sadness and a sense of hopelessness persist, you may be experiencing depression.

The spectrum of adult depression symptoms and severity is wide and its causes are many. Major life transitions, trauma, hormones, illnesses or genetics can be factors of depression. The depression experience varies among individuals and can be manifested as an ongoing sense of the “blues,” chronic irritability and moodiness, or a deep hopelessness that makes it impossible to get out of bed or leave the house. The good news, however, is that regardless of severity or symptoms, there are many therapeutic and medical approaches that can help mitigate depression symptoms, so that you can feel better and be more engaged in your life.

Therapy can help you discover hope, pleasure, and personal fulfillment.

Talking with a trained mental health professional, who is experienced and truly understands depression, can provide you with much relief. When in the throes of depression, many individuals develop tunnel vision and feel trapped. Your Orenstein Solutions therapist can help you gain fresh perspectives and provide you with behavioral strategies that can help eliminate self-destructive patterns. In your counseling sessions, you can begin to identify and address depression symptoms, learn ways to take better care of yourself and those who depend on you, and learn how to live your life in more constructive and empowering ways.

Your therapist can give you honest feedback in a safe and supportive environment as you explore what’s blocking your ability to feel sustained happiness. You can identify self-limiting thoughts and behaviors that you may not even know you have, and learn healthier ways to cope with stress and difficult emotions. You can also learn concrete, practical ways to comfort and nurture yourself and set meaningful and attainable goals. Your therapist can point out and remind you of your strengths and aspects of your life that are positive. You can discover resources, reconnect with your inner strength and regain a sense of purpose and meaning in your life.

Even though you may be feeling hopeless right now, it is possible to broaden your narrow focus and see that you can have a positive future. You can feel better about yourself and your life situation. With help, you can begin to heal, find more joy and feel like yourself again. It’s even possible to feel better than you did before. Therapy can help you get to know your self better, develop a more concrete understanding of your needs, emotions and capabilities and feel more empowered to take healthy personal risks.

But, you still may have questions or concerns about adult depression treatment…

I’m afraid that if I’m diagnosed with depression, I’ll have to go on medication.

Medication is not always recommended or needed for treating depression. In fact, many people with mild to moderate depression have found counseling and other lifestyle changes to be very effective for overcoming depression.

However, if other approaches are slow to take hold or are not effective, your Orenstein Solutions therapist may suggest that you meet with our board-certified staff psychiatrist to determine if medication is an option for your depression treatment. If medication if recommended, it is entirely up to you to decide whether to try it or not. It’s our role to provide you with support, answer any questions you may have, and to carefully monitor progress and potential side effects should you chose medication. It’s also important to note that medication can oftentimes be a temporary solution to help mitigate depression symptoms so you can begin to feel better and actively engage in counseling and other important aspects of your life. Many people report experiencing best results with a medication/therapy combination.

I’m worried that if I pursue depression treatment, I might learn that something is really wrong with me or that I’ll lose control of my life.

You may discover something is wrong in your life, but that can be a very good thing. Depression can be your inner wisdom crying out for attention or a sign that something in your life is out of balance. We need to be attuned to our feelings and seek to understand what they are telling us. And, addressing heavy and difficult emotions with a professional therapist will make it less likely that you’ll lose control. When you better understand your depression and gain self-awareness and healthy coping skills, you can become more effective at handling difficult emotions and situations. So, when you reach out for depression treatment, you are making steps to feel and function better and to regain control of your life.

Therapy can take a lot of time and it isn’t cheap. I’m not sure it’s worthwhile.

Therapy is an investment in yourself and in your family. By investing in yourself now, you are not only creating the opportunity to feel better sooner, but depression treatment can also help you gain and maintain a more positive perspective on your life, which can lead to sustainable, long-term results. Depression can also impact how you engage in relationships, influence productivity at work, increase stress and affect your family. However, working through depression symptoms can create the space for emotionally healthy relationships, increase productivity and help you develop a more empowered and balanced sense of self.