Do you Need Therapy for Depression?

You may find some comfort in knowing that you’re not alone if you are feeling lost and sad with no motivation to work, enjoy life, and even live. This state is called depression and it is relatively common, affecting nearly 18% of adults in the U.S., according to 2023 figures from the National Institute of Mental Health.

Depression is a complex disease that affects both the mind and the body, and like almost all chronic diseases, there are multiple causes, including genetic, biological, and environmental factors. Starting therapy for depression is really crucial because it goes far beyond your typical bouts of sadness. Depression can swallow your life with feelings of hopelessness, pessimism, and irritability. It’s totally normal to feel low at times—we’ve all struggled to get out of bed at some point—but it becomes debilitating when these feelings don’t seem to have an end in sight. That’s why finding the right treatment, which often includes therapy, can be life-changing.

If you are looking for depression therapy near you but are not sure whether it is for you or not, here are the signs that help you understand why you need therapy for depression.

Reasons that you need therapy for depression

If you relate to the below situations of a depressive episode, seeking depression therapy near you may be rewarding. Treatment for depression could prevent symptoms from worsening and shorten the period that you experience depression.

1. You’re experiencing intense feelings of sadness or helplessness

It’s normal to feel down every once in a while, but sometimes it’s difficult to get out of a low point in your life. These feelings can actually be a sign of major depression, which is an indication that you need therapy to heal from it.

2. You’re using alcohol, drugs, porn, or other unhealthy coping mechanisms

Managing painful or difficult emotions with alcohol, drugs, porn or other addictive means commonly leads to larger problems. These coping mechanisms only distract you. They don’t help alleviate the symptoms of depression and also add to your problems if you get addicted to them. This is why if you or your loved one is struggling with any type of unhealthy coping mechanism, it’s crucial to seek professional help as soon as possible.

3. You or a loved one are living with a chronic health condition

The uncertainty of serious illnesses can bring on stress, anxiety, and depression. It’s easy to slip into negative thought patterns when you are facing a long-term illness. Therapy can help you bring a positive aspect to your life and motivation to live and enjoy life.

4. You feel like you’ve lost control

You’re having difficulty regulating your emotions. While we all feel sad, anxious, or angry at some point in our lives, it’s important to pay attention to how often or how intensely you feel these emotions. Anger is often a part of a depressive presentation, especially in children who, instead of experiencing increased sadness, show irritability, anger, or hostility towards others. Getting therapy is a good way to help the mind calm down and take control of your emotions.

5. You aren’t performing as effectively at work or school

A decrease in performance at work or school is a common sign among those struggling with depression as it can impair attention, concentration, memory, and energy and can result in apathy, which saps the enjoyment from work or even the drive to work. That’s why you need therapy to relax and manage your energy.

6. You’re experiencing changes or disruptions in sleep or appetite

Depression can have a profound impact on your sleep and appetite. An individual who is anxious or in a manic state may have sleeplessness, while someone who is severely depressed might sleep all the time. Similarly, when overwhelmed by stress, some people overeat to dull their emotions, while others find they can barely eat. So, if you notice that you’ve been eating or sleeping either less or more than usual for a long period, it might be an indication you need therapy.

7. Your physical health has taken a hit

We don’t give mental health the same kind of attention as physical health and that is a huge mistake given that they are interconnected. Mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression have both direct and indirect effects on our physical health—direct because psychological issues affect the central nervous system, which in turn has an impact on all other health systems (endocrine, immune, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, etc.). While indirectly, they are associated with a whole host of physical health conditions including headaches, fatigue, muscle aches and pains, greater cardiovascular reactivity, weaker immune system, chronic inflammation, etc.

So, if you’ve been suffering from any of these health conditions for a long time, you could benefit from the latest depression therapies like Ketamine, stellate ganglion block, and others.

What To Expect From Depression Therapy?

If you’re feeling afraid to see a therapist, rest assured that this is normal. Some people feel uncomfortable talking about their mental health or about their personal lives. But stay strong and get depression therapy near you.

Doctors and therapists will first discuss with you, understand your needs and goals, and then start your personalized therapy sessions. If you hesitate to directly go for antidepressants it’s completely okay. You can ask your therapist to try talk therapy before they try medication, or you can also include both in your treatment. If you’ve had depression in the past and benefited from a particular medicine or type of therapy, it might be worth trying the same course of action if it’s already been successful for you.

Sometimes people have treatment-resistant depression where they don’t find any medicine or therapy effective. In such cases, you can look for medicinal depression therapy near you. The most common medicinal therapies are ketamine, stellate ganglion block, NAD+ therapy, and nutritional infusion therapy. You can get these therapies alone and also in combination with talk therapy and traditional antidepressants.

Lastly, don’t lose hope you can easily get out of depression. Just take the first step and stay strong.