According to a survey conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health, almost half of Americans diagnosed as having depression fail to receive the treatment they need. Put another way, over 7 million Americans suffering with depressive disorders are not receiving required care.
Even if the above mentioned statistics are not sufficiently shocking, research conducted by labor organizations have estimated that major depression translates to over $19 billion in lost earnings every year as a consequence of sick leave and various work absences.
The costs society pays for depression are almost unimaginable, not to mention the emotional costs paid by those individuals who don’t receive the help they need.
Treating Depression Effectively
Much of the time, some form of psychotherapy and counseling are the recommended treatments for anyone with major or persistent depression.
Unlike anti-depressants that merely relieve the effects of clinical depression, counseling and psychotherapy allow individuals to discover, understand, and process the actual beliefs and behaviors that cause depression. Better yet, despite the fact that counseling and therapy can take some time and energy to be truly effective, psychotherapy comes with none of the side effects so prevalent with anti-depressants — side effects that may be even worse than the initial depression.
Through depression counseling, licensed mental health professionals help people recognize, understand, and overcome the thoughts and feelings that trigger depression. While difficulty coping with specific problems and events can contribute to depression, underlying beliefs acquired much earlier in life are usually at the root of severe and/or recurring depression.
Depression counseling and therapy not only helps individuals address certain situations, problems, and the effects of depression, counseling and psychotherapy help individuals gain a more complete understanding of themselves as well as examine different methods for interacting with the world so they become more empowered and self-confident.
Is Any Treatment Method Superior To Others?
Just as all people are diverse individuals, no one form of counseling or psychotherapy is equally suited to treating every individual suffering from depression.
Psychodynamic psychotherapy may be best if the depression you’re struggling with is the consequence of unresolved conflicts that occurred during childhood. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help you modify the manner in which you think about specific circumstances or incidents and, as a result, change your feelings and reactions to situations that seem beyond your ability to control.
Each and every psychotherapist has his or her own preferred approaches to counseling and therapy, and you and your therapist will have to explore the treatment options available in order for you to decide on the approach that best fits your unique character and needs.
While many people choose individual counseling or therapy when working through their depression, individuals experiencing depression can frequently gain from couples counseling, group therapy, and family counseling.
Group counseling permits people struggling with depression to discuss their emotions with other people who have been dealing with identical difficulties. The awareness that you’re not alone, as well as the strength which can come from overcoming difficulties with the support of peers, can be extremely valuable in managing depression.
Alternatively, if you’re in a relationship and have been struggling with depression for some time, it is likely that your relationship has suffered as well. It is not uncommon for couples and families to seek out therapy due to behavioral changes and communication difficulties caused by one partner’s depression. Working together, either in couples counseling or family therapy, can help the partner struggling with depression more effectively cope and overcome the issues they’re facing, as well as strengthen the bonds of his or her relationship.
Much More Than Just A Quick Fix
Though antidepressants can provide you with fast relief in instances of intense depression and, to be sure, may very well be vital in some cases, the objective of counseling and psychotherapy is to confront the underlying factors that cause depression and to create positive, long-lasting transformation.
Though the benefits of psychotherapy may take longer to realize, effective psychotherapy provides individuals positive, long-term, and life-changing results without the costs, ever-increasing dosages, and side-effects that come with popping pills for the rest of your days.
Ultimately, when it comes to defeating depression, there’s probably no greater investment that a person or our society in general may make in our pursuit of happiness!
To learn more about depression counseling, visit Tom Eggert’s website on psychotherapy in Seattle.