Are You Weighed Down By Feelings Of Sadness And Hopelessness?

Do you often feel sad, lonely, unmotivated and empty? Do activities that once brought you joy now seem meaningless? Have you begun to isolate yourself because you do not want to interact with coworkers, friends or family members? Has your bleak or irritable mood caused your relationships with your loved ones to suffer? Perhaps you’re hurting physically as well as emotionally and experiencing fatigue, appetite or weight fluctuations, headaches, body aches, digestive problems or a decreased sex drive. Have the negative thoughts and feeling gotten so bad that you’re self-harming or entertaining suicidal thoughts? Do you wish you could feel happy, maintain meaningful relationships with your loved ones and live a fulfilling life?

Depression can cause persistent feelings of sadness that can make you feel weighed down throughout each day. You may wake up feeling sluggish and struggle to even get out of bed. If you do not have any urgent responsibilities, you may even end up sleeping or staying in bed all day. If you need to go to work, attend class or take care of your children, you may get up and dread all of your daily activities. Your mind may feel foggy as you struggle to focus on your job duties or household chores. And, feelings of fatigue and/or worthlessness can make completing even the simplest task feel overwhelming. Relationships – especially your intimate one – may be strained, especially if you’ve started isolating yourself and avoiding family events. Rather than engage with those you love, you may just want to lie in bed until you fall asleep, which can elicit feelings of guilt and make you think even worse of yourself.

Depression Is Very Common In Our Culture

According to the National Institute of Public Heath, clinical depression affects about 19 million Americans each year. Depression can be triggered by chemical imbalances in the brain or external factors that disrupt a person’s overall well-being. Many of these external factors, such as living a fast-paced lifestyle and fulfilling society’s overwhelming expectations, have become more and more prevalent in recent years. Other common triggers of depression can be the loss of a job, a breakup or divorce, trauma, the death of a loved one, life transitions or even unpleasant weather. To top it all off, individuals also often struggle to find meaning in their career and relationships. No matter how a person falls into a cycle of depression, it is often difficult to overcome alone. Some people cope with sadness and hopelessness by abusing substances, such as alcohol. Others may simply get through the day by isolating themselves from the outside world.

The good news is that you are not alone, and there is help and hope. With the guidance and support of an experience and compassionate therapist, you can experience relief from depression symptoms and start living a more meaningful and connected life.

Rediscover Joy And Find Meaning In Life With Depression Treatment

During safe, compassionate and nonjudgmental depression treatment sessions, you and your experienced Life Balance Counseling therapist will work together to identify the specific triggers to your depression and whether they are rooted in your patterns of thinking or driven by external events. The two of you will work together to create an individualized plan specifically designed with tools and techniques to best address and support your personality, history, needs and goals.

If you struggle with negative patterns of thinking, such as dwelling on unsuccessful events, your therapist can help you explore depressive thoughts using writing techniques that can give you a new perspective on upsetting events. These techniques include journaling, letter writing and thought logs – all of which can validate your experiences and, at the same time, help you modify the way you perceive and rationalize a situation.

Your depression treatment sessions may also incorporate deep breathing and visualization exercises that can bring you immediate relief from overwhelming feelings of sadness or worry. In addition, if you are interested in exploring your creative side during sessions, your therapist can use art therapy as a tool to help you express specific emotions and dig deeper into how you feel.

Throughout depression treatment, you and your therapist will set and assess goals that guide you toward finding joy in your life as well as help you build the confidence you need to live a more fulfilling and meaningful life. As you start to feel better about yourself and your purpose, your therapist can show you ways to reconnect with your loved ones so you can maintain a support system if you ever need a helping hand in the future.

The therapists at Life Balance Counseling have more than 20 years of combined experience in helping individuals climb out of depression and move forward in a joyful and connected life. Even though you may feel like you are stuck in a cycle of persistent, negative emotions, there is help and hope for healing. Depression treatment can help you see the light at the end of the tunnel and lead you toward happiness.

I am interested in depression treatment at Life Balance Counseling, but still have a few questions or concerns…

I think depression has permanently taken over my life. Can depression treatment still help me?

Our therapists have helped many individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds and with varying degrees of severity of symptoms overcome their feelings of sadness and hopelessness – many of whom suffered from severe depression. In addition, talk therapy, our main treatment method, is one of the most effective and empowering ways to beat depression. We believe no one is a lost cause. No matter how severe or long lasting your depression symptoms are, we can help you take the necessary steps to start enjoying your life again.

I do not want to take medication for depression.

Life Balance Counseling therapists do not prescribe any types of medication. We believe in holistic treatment that allows you to tap into your natural abilities to find relief and heal. By teaching you techniques and tools to feel happier on your own, you will gain the power and resilience to tackle future obstacles – all without relying on medication. However, if you are interested in exploring whether or not prescription medication may help you, we can refer you to an experienced psychiatrist.

I’m worried that my friends and family judge me for seeking depression treatment.

Depression treatment is 100 percent confidential, and our therapists maintain a nonjudgmental environment during sessions. If you do end up telling your loved ones that you have chosen to seek help, chances are they will be glad to know you are taking the steps to feel better and live a more joyful life. Regardless of whether you choose to tell your loved ones and friends about your therapy, they will probably notice the positive changes you make in your life, especially as you start to connect on a deeper, more meaningful level.

You Can Experience Joy In Life 

If you are ready to find relief from persistent sadness and look forward to a happy and rewarding life, we invite you to call us for a free 15-minute phone consultation. We’re happy to discuss your needs, our practice and how depression treatment can help.

If you are feeling suicidal right now, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1 (800) 273-8255 – or – 911. 

Depression Specialists:

Jennifer Budruweit, MA, LCPC, GC-C
Lana Batinic, MA, LCPC
Lauren Buetikofer, MA, LCPC
Heather Drury, MA, LCPC
Lauren Fallon, MSW, LCSW
Jennifer Herbert, MS, LCPC
Jennifer Klemm, MS, LCPC
Daniella Raimondi, MS, LCPC

If you are interested in learning more about our depression counseling services, please call us at 847.220.6981 or contact us online.

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