Knock Knock: It’s Depression
My (least) favorite thing to experience! Depression comes and goes for many of us and for a few lucky ones <insert eye roll>, it’s how we operate through life all the time. There are many types of depression, just like there are many types and flavors of ice cream.
Depression can be mixed in with grief, anxiety, and significant mental illnesses. Along with a host of other emotional and life challenges that most of us will face at some point in our lives.
There is Situational & Clinical Depression
We will talk about the many different types of depression in this post today.
Situational Depression
First up, a very common but not talked about type of depression is called situational depression, which is typically caused by external factors such as:
Work problems
Retirement
Trouble in school
Relationship challenges or ending
Moving
Divorce
Things going on in our community or globally that cause distress
Life Stressors
Depression Symptoms: Situational & Clinical
The symptoms of situational depression and clinical depression are much the same:
Feelings of sadness
Loss of enjoyment in things you used to enjoy
Tearfulness (or frequent crying)
Sleeping increase or decrease
Difficulty focusing on tasks at hand
Avoiding social situations
Change in eating habits (increase or decrease)
Lots of worrying, anxiousness or increased feelings of stress
Challenges doing your daily tasks (showering, laundry, cooking meals, engaging with loved ones, etc)
Feeling overwhelmed
Letting things slide – like paying bills on time
Thoughts or attempted suicide
Headache
Stomach upset
Challenges with sexual functioning
Situational depression is usually short in duration and more of an adjustment period with a depressed mood. [This is not to discount how you’re feeling!] Typically, situational depression will clear up in a few months when the adjustment to the event isn’t so strong. However, if situation depression goes on for a long time and doesn’t seem to resolve on its own, it can turn into clinical depression.
Clinical Depression
Clinical depression means that it is diagnosable according to the mental health world’s big book of diagnoses - The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Which ensures that every diagnosis has an insurance billing code attached to it. I could go on a rant about the DSM, its role in the mental health world, the damages it can cause, and blah blah blah. BUT despite my personal views of it, it has shed light on the many types of mental health conditions (I’m not a fan of the word disorder), clusters of symptoms and the most effective interventions for them.
There are several different types of depression (just like there are many types and flavors of ice cream) that are discussed in the book and commonly acknowledged in the field.
Common Types of Depression
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Intense and overwhelming feelings of depression that last longer than 2 weeks but do end at some point.
Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD). Previously called dysthymia, this is when depression lasts for more than 2 years and is typically less severe than major depressive disorder (MDD).
Seasonal Depression or Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD). It usually starts in late fall through winter and goes away when the sun comes back out in the spring and summer months.
Bipolar Disorder. As a depression therapist I have seen it show up in both Bipolar I and Bipolar II.
Perinatal and Postpartum Depression (PPD). Can show up during pregnancy until 1 year (give or take) after birth. It is more than just the “baby blues” and can significantly impact bonding and caring for the baby.
Is It Common To Need Depression Treatment?
In a very general statement from the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 8-9% of all adults in the US have experienced depression at one point in their life or another. While the percentage may seem small, that’s a little over 21 million people.
21 million people is 2/3rds of the entire population of the State of California. To get to 21 million people, that would be Los Angeles County, Santa Clara County, Alameda County, Sacramento County, San Francisco County, Contra Costa County and San Diego County COMBINED! Or, the entire state of New York. That’s a lot of people!
You are not alone if you are suffering and in need of depression treatment in the San Francisco bay area.
What Causes A Need For Depression Help?
If you think of your life as cooking your favorite meal, you add things as you go. Such as trauma, experiences, love, broken hearts, joy, etc. Some people may come into your kitchen to help you cook, others might not show up and some people come in and only create a mess. All of these experiences create our lives.
BUT if you have too much or too little of something, or completely missing ingredients altogether, the meal may not taste like what you’re hoping for. Depression is like that, it’s a cumulation of a lot of things and not one single thing. Some of us have sensitivities to some of the ingredients and others don’t. It’s hard to know what you’re going to get until it arrives.
Depression Treatment Isn’t Just About 1 Thing
Depression isn’t always caused by one factor in particular, but by clusters of events, chemistry, biology, medical conditions, and environments. Some people may be predisposed to it thanks to genetics (Hey Mom & Dad). Research shows that if someone has a blood relative that has depression, they are more likely to experience depression too.
Medications work so well for depression treatment because it is often linked (but not definitive) to abnormalities in brain chemistry. Thanks to a lack of dopamine and serotonin in the brain, we may experience more feelings of apathy, feelings of hopelessness, lack of motivation or difficulty focusing. *To be abundantly clear, medication is not always needed to reduce depression symptoms.
Medications that we take may also have depression as a side effect. Also, recreational drug and alcohol use can impact us too or have interactions with prescribed medications that we may not think of.
Stress can play a huge factor in depression. Those hard life events, like death of a loved one, being a caregiver, having a newborn in the house (or anything related to pregnancy and parenting), traumatic events, and isolation all increase our stress levels. Which in turn increases our chances of becoming depressed.
Medical conditions can bring up a lot of sadness, frustration, and grief. We have a blog all about grieving our health when we receive a long-term diagnosis. The depression that comes with a medical diagnosis is real and it can even impact the medical treatment that we receive (if we decide to receive any type of treatment).
How Do I Know If I Need Depression Treatment
You might have an inclination, do a solid google search or ask friends. Many people will self-diagnose. However, having the eyes and ears of a specifically trained depression therapist will provide a lot more clarity. As well as help to rule out other possible conditions. So, aside from the groundwork that you’ve probably already done, I suggest meeting with a mental health professional first and foremost for a thorough depression treatment evaluation.
Important to note: it’s important to have a physical exam to make sure that your primary care doctor hasn’t missed anything that could be causing depression symptoms.
How Do I Get Depression Help?
I truly wish there was a magic wand that I could wave to banish depression from your life. The most honest answer would be, that you have a menu to choose from – you can order one, two or all – it’s completely up to you.
First up is Therapy for Depression
There are a handful of evidence-based (meaning, tried & true) therapy models that we can use to reduce the symptoms of and suffering from depression. One of the most common ones you’ll hear depression therapists talk about on their websites is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT for short. The focus of CBT is to look at a person’s thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. How they intertwine, impact each other, and where we can modify things to create desired outcomes. It can be a great therapy for depression option (it has been WIDELY tested), but it doesn’t work for everyone and sometimes it can even do harm.
I also like to incorporate Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) which holds the thought that we welcome our thoughts and feelings. The good, the bad & the ugly. We accept what we cannot control (controlling can sometimes cause us more harm than good) and actively work to commit to the things that we can control (facing our truths) and things that add value to our lives. ACT also believes in not avoiding troublesome situations and relationships but rather “facing them head on and come out the other side with decreased fixation on these experiences.”
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and ACT go hand in hand, DBT holds the premise that we become more self-aware, work towards positive and desirable behaviors in ourselves. Allowing us to learn distress tolerance skills and emotional regulation.
A Depression Therapist Will Guide You
You don’t have to worry about the details of these theories, what they look like or how they work. That’s my job as the depression therapist in the San Francisco bay area to bring that knowledge into the session, support you and help you thrive again. I like to toss the names out there for the people that like to do google-dives and learn more on their own.
Online therapy might be the best option for you. With online therapy in California you can have sessions from the comfort of your home and conserve precious energy from having to go anywhere. Have you met our online depression therapist, Stephanie, yet?
The Second Depression Help Option
At Bay Area Therapy for Wellness our second suggestion for depression help is to exercise or simply be outside. Research shows again and again that being outside, getting some sunlight and fresh air, and moving your body does wonders for our brains and mental health. If you are struggling to get out of bed and can’t even think about exercise right now, that’s okay. This could be something we can work towards during depression treatment if you want.
Your Diet Is Your Third Option
Modify your diet can help with depression symptoms. I cannot pretend or even offer nutritional advice, so I’d have to defer to a dietician here. With that being said, there is a lot of research that shows what we eat can impact our overall mental health. For me, Taco Bell nachos are a guilty pleasure that I love and indulge in. But I also know it makes me feel down, heavy & lagging after I eat them. Paying attention to how certain foods make you feel emotionally and physically can offer a lot of insight and guide to help you feel better.
Medication For Depression Treatment
Last but certainly not least, talk with your doctors or a psychiatrist (a doctor that prescribes medications specifically for mental health struggles). There are many situations when medications are appropriate for depression treatment. But, the first two that pop into my mind are:
Needing a little bit of a jump start so you can start working through some things with an depression therapist to reduce the rest of the depressive symptoms.
Having tried therapy for depression, diet & exercise but still not getting the level of relief needed to function well in your daily life.
Medication and therapy together are typically the gold standard to depression treatment. That doesn’t mean you will need to go on medications but as you can see, you have four solid options and many combinations of options to try.
There is Hope With Depression Treatment in the San Francisco Bay Area
Getting depression help can be hard. Hard to reach out, hard to talk about, and it can even bring up some anxiety symptoms or increase the symptoms that you’re feeling at the start of therapy. But, the great news is that depression is highly treatable with great success all of the time! Having the right counselor for you is the most important thing. Have you met our depression therapist in the bay area yet?
My depression is really bad right now, I’m thinking of hurting myself or someone else – what do I do?
Please call 911, go to your nearest emergency room, call 800-273-8255 or if you’re reading this past July 16, 2022 – text 988. Your life is valuable, you are important and there is help available at any moment to help you feel less pain.
Website: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Are You Ready to Start Depression Treatment in the San Francisco Bay Area in California?
Depression doesn’t have to have grip on your life anymore. With support from a depression therapist in the bay area you can start overcoming your depressive symptoms. At Bay Area Therapy For Wellness we understand that taking the first steps to start therapy for depression is hard. However we will be with you every step of the way - just follow these steps to start depression treatment.
Contact us for a consultation at our San Francisco bay area-based counseling practice
Have your first depression treatment appointment with our online depression therapist
Start getting the depression help you need and deserve
Other Mental Health Services At Bay Area Therapy For Wellness in San Francisco, CA
At Bay Area Therapy For Wellness we provide more than depression help through online therapy in California. I also provide anxiety treatment and family therapy. As a bay area therapist I specialize in therapy for chronic illness, grief counseling, and caregiver support. Reach out now to start getting support.
