|
Depression is commonly used to describe a wide range of mind states including sadness and prolonged “low mood”, when in fact the two mental states are very different.
Sadness is an active authentic emotion that fluctuates - comes and goes. Depression however, is a diagnosed mental state that becomes passive or stuck and often needs a combination of anti-depressants and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to shift.
Typically, a difficult separation and divorce, losing a job and being unemployed can hit us for six and we can remain depressed until we resolve the emotional turmoil and find new ways to move on.
Likewise, when faced with the loss of an important job or the diagnosis of a long-term illness, most people will feel unhappy or sad for a period of time. These appropriate emotional reactions are a part of everyday life and would be expected to only last for a limited time with support and perhaps appropriate counselling.
Clinical depression on the other hand describes a group of illnesses characterised by excessive or long-term depressed mood that affects a person's capacity for everyday life. Clinical depression is often accompanied by feelings of anxiety and confusion that can’t be associated directly with any particular negative incident.
Longer-lasting depressed mood that can be connected to a particular unresolved situation in your life responds very well to the cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) approaches we use.
Geoff and Kellene’s work in this area is often done in parallel with a GP or other medical practitioner who might prescribe appropriately prescribed medication to help “lift” the individuals mood so they can better focus on learning new skills (CBT) and to understand and re-frame their situation and to find solutions.
For more information or to contact us about your Depression or Anxiety counselling needs. | 
