Treating Depression.

Depression is more than just sadness or fatigue. It is a total body, mind, and spirit take over. It saps you of your energy, isolates, fixates on the negative, and paints a bleak, hopeless picture. If you are experiencing depression, then you already know it is much more complicated than just feeling blue.

Riding the waves of depression takes a lot of self-compassion and acceptance. It can be hard to watch yourself slip back into that unwanted state and feel disconnected from your true self. However, if we can use the depressive episode as data, we might find some gems of insight. What is being denied? Is there something underneath the depression that needs expressing? What is your depression trying to communicate? While awfully uncomfortable and challenging, depression can serve us if we allow it to.

I liken treating depression to treating any physical ailment. It requires patience, curiosity, and a willingness to try, even when the depression says to give up. You can overcome depression with small, steady changes in self-talk and behaviors. It is true that sometimes you have to fake it until you make it.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are experiencing severe depression symptoms and need immediate help, please contact your nearest emergency room, call 911, or text HOME to 741741.