Feeling sad is not an unhealthy thing. Every person in this world has ups and downs, but when chronic depression begins to take over one’s daily life changes need to be made. Later we will get into different types of depression and ways to cope and overcome, but for now let’s focus on the most import thing. Things don’t always need to be like this. Everyone deserves the right to be happy and enjoy life as much as possible. According to a Marcus and Olson survey conducted in 2007, nearly 9,000,000 Americans are receiving some sort of treatment for depression many of which are finding success. Although roughly 75% of those treated receive some sort of medication for their illness, this certainly doesn’t have to be the only way. The cause of one’s depression can vary widely and unfortunately today more emphasis is being placed on finding the correct medication to take rather than defining the root causes and solutions to the actual problem. While medication has worked for many people and may work in your particular case, it is extremely important to identify the type and cause of depression before jumping to any conclusions about potential solutions. In most cases, I find that therapy alone can greatly alleviate the burden of clinical depression, but of course there are exceptions. Let’s now take a look at some of the different types of depression as well as the viability of therapy for depression’s role in fixing these problems.

Common Causes of Depression

Medications – It may sound strange, but medications that are treating a separate ailment may be causing unattended side effects resulting in depression. Although many of these medications may warn of such problems, not all medications have been thoroughly understood regarding their potential side effects. In this particular situation, one might be feeling overly depressed regarding a separate condition, completely unaware that the mediations they are taking are playing a large role in this feeling. In this situation, it is important the speak with someone who not only has clinical experience with medication, but also has experience diagnosing depression as their outside input will play a great role in locating and finding solutions for your depression.

Past Life Experiences and Life Changing Events - This is a very broad category and it must be noted that that these events are not necessarily bad in nature. Obtaining a new important position at a company or buying a new home could lead to some form of depression relating to stress. This is all very normal, but when the depression lingers for long periods of time, therapy for depression can become a real asset to understanding the problem and coping with your new situation. In addition to normal life changing events everyone goes through, previous negative and traumatic events can typically play a huge role in the development of clinical depression. Most commonly physical, mental, sexual, or emotional abuse result in long term depression although much of the time the person suffering doesn’t make this connection. Once again, in these situations speaking with a clinical psychologist can do wonders in alleviating this persistent sadness or stress. Just the act of understanding where the feeling is coming from can add a feeling of stability to one’s life they previously may not have had. Much of the time medications can be prescribed to help treat the stress and sadness involved in a life changing event, but often therapy for depression alone can greatly improve one’s quality of life.

Illness – Many major illnesses can result in long term depression for those suffering from them. These situations are quite difficult as in some cases there is no permanent solution to the initial illness so treatment for depression gets put on hold while the initial ailment is remedied. In this situation it is usually much clearer to the person suffering the cause of the depression although the merits of depression counseling cannot be discounted. Simply talking through the situation with someone removed from the problem can shed new light on possible outcomes as well as alternate solutions once not considered.

Social Problems – Much of the time, one’s situation socially can have great bearing on one’s daily mood. Problems with interacting with others can lead to long term depression and generally a lower quality of life. Fortunately, seeking therapy for the depression that results from social problem typically results in the uncovering of these social issues as well the treatment of said issues. This, like many of the causes we have identified here, can be treated with some form of medication to help alleviate the stress of social interaction although much of the time therapy for depression and social behavioral issues alone is enough to remedy the problem.

Addiction – Substance abuse is a tremendous factor in the vast majority of depression cases in the United States. Nearly a third of those abusing some sort of substance also have to deal with depression as the side effect. Obviously in this situation dealing with addiction will greatly lessen the depression it is causing, but in some cases even beating the addiction is not enough. Seeking professional help with these situations will often reveal the cause of the initial substance abuse. Dealing with this root cause and finding therapy for depression can help fix the addiction and depression it has caused and greatly improve one’s quality of life.

Brain Chemistry and Genetics – One of the most difficult situations to deal with and possibly the least understood, brain chemistry and genetics unfortunately play a large role in some cases of clinical depression. In this situation, a combination of therapy for depression and medication is usually the key to tackling the problem. These cases can vary so widely in severity and cause that treating them can be quite the challenge. Finding a psychologist with experience and medical training is paramount in these particular cases.

Other Lifestyle Problems – This category encompasses any number of lifestyle choices that may be resulting in some form of depression. Things like diet and nutrition, sleep, stress, and psychical exercise all play a role in the general outlook in someone’s like. Often these problems alone will not result in clinical depression, but coupled with one of the factor previously listed can greatly augment the negative effects. Making changes to one’s lifestyle can and usually does have profound effect on one’s mental outlook, it is usually just a matter of locating which lifestyle choices are unhealthy and developing a plan to make some changes.

Finding the Right Treatment – In most cases, the underlying cause of lasting depression doesn’t fall neatly into one of the categories previously listed although in some cases it may. A combination of factors has helped to shape our current mental state and dealing with these interconnected issues is the key to improving daily mental outlook. Doctors and mental health specialists are the two primary entities that provide treatment for depression. I suggest first going to your doctor to discuss the problem to rule out a potential medical cause for your depression. Be advised that doctors are not perfect and do not jump to any conclusions regarding your medical health and depression. In the vast majority of cases, mental health specialists provide fantastic results in improving mental health even when coupled with a medical problem or chemical imbalance. Finding the right mental health counselor to deal with your current situation is important and unfortunately sometimes very expensive. On this site we provide free phone consultations with Priscilla Barnes, a licensed therapist who has found great success in treating mental health problems for many years.

Free Phone Visit with Priscilla Barnes – Currently we are offering free phone consultations to anyone interested in therapy for depression as well as any number of other mental health aspects. These phone sessions are pressure free and can be less stressful and easier to commit to than traditional face to face meetings. If depression is something you have been struggling with, please fill out the “Contact Priscilla” form to the right or click the schedule an appointment below to give her a call directly. Since these consultations are free of charge there is really nothing to lose and everything to gain, take the first step in improving the quality of your life today by having a free telephone session with Priscilla Barnes today. Click here to return to the homepage.