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Depression and Counselling
ShareIf you are feeling down for an extended period of time, you need to ask for professional help. If diagnosed by a medical doctor with depression, you are likely to be advised to speak to a counsellor who will help you find the way out of the darkness. Read on to find out more (also see counselling).
What is Depression?
Depression, sometimes referred to as clinical depression, is a mental illness that entails an overwhelming sense of sadness, loss and hopelessness. Bouts of the condition may span from weeks to years, and may sometimes cause the sufferer to despair so greatly they no longer want to live.
Counselling for Depression
When a sufferer in the midst of their depression, there often seems no way out of the darkness that has enveloped them. A depressed person may feel isolated and lonely, and may think no one around them understands how they feel. A professional counsellor aims to resolve these feelings by helping the patient understand why and how the depression has come about in the first place.
Counselling Techniques for Depression
A professional counsellor may use one or many of the following techniques to assist the depression patient:
- CBT (Cognitive Behavoral Therapy)
- Assertiveness training
- Goal development
- Problem solving skills
- Exercise and activity programs
- Positive psychology
- Interpersonal therapy
Benefits of Counselling for Depression
Positive Thinking
A counsellor assist the patient to identify destructive thought patterns, and may suggest new, more positive ways of thinking that will help the patient get through the depression.
Giving Hope
A counsellor is able to guide the patient to hope that there is truly light at the end of the tunnel, and that a brighter future is possible through an ongoing healing process.
Increased Self-Esteem
Symptoms of depression cannot be resolved without healthy self-esteem and self-confidence. The developing relationship between the patient and counsellor creates a support system in which the patient is able to build their self-confidence by constantly reaffirming their own self worth.
Increased Self-Awareness
For those who have suffered with depression over an extended period of time, verbalising, identifying and naming specific symptoms, and the events that trigger them, can bring great relief and inhibit the condition from worsening.
Supervision
For those who at are high risk from drug abuse, alcohol abuse or suicide attempts, a counsellor acts as the ideal supervisor and may act to prevent any life threatening consequences from taking place with the patient.
Choosing a Counsellor That is Right for You
When choosing a counsellor that is right for you, it is important to remember you will get the best results (for your money) with a counselolr you feel comfortable with. As with other close relationships, you should feel you could be honest with them, and feel unthreatened in the environment where the sessions take place. If your depression is severe or you are being treated with anti-depressants, it is wise to speak to your doctor about what sort of counsellor may be best for you.
Find out about other effective natural depression treatments.
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