



|

Subscribe to Esther's free newsletter, Women’s
Community Counsellor,and get your Free Report:
"10 Tips For Getting Rid Of Relationships That Drain
Your Energy" |
|
|
Esther Kane, MSW
Registered Clinical Counsellor
Therapy for Women & Families
Serving Courtenay and the Comox Valley, BC
250.338.1800
esther@estherkane.com
|
|
What to Do When The Blues Last Too Long
November 2007
Printable PDF Version
In my work as a woman-centred psychotherapist, I’d say the number one ‘presenting
problem’ clients bring to my office is “depression.” The
reason I have this word in quotes is because this word is often misapplied.
I’d like to share with you my understanding of three ‘clusters’ of
emotional symptoms that are often labelled “depression”,
but are in fact, specific types of malaise that all involve some
aspects of true “depression” and therefore, need to be
looked at separately.
Type #1: Situational Depression
This is when
you feel really sad, bummed out, and may be temporarily unable
to go about your normal daily routine due to an upsetting major
life event such as: a break-up or divorce, the death of a loved-one,
or losing a job. The difference between this and clinical depression
is that it is temporary in nature. While you may feel hopeless,
helpless, lost, and unmotivated, these feelings won’t last forever and
you’ll eventually start to feel like your ‘old self’ again.
Type #2: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
If your depression
seems to hit during the winter months, you're probably suffering
from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This is a very common form
of depression, which is only noticeable during those months where
there is very little sunlight (like now!). You may be particularly
at risk of SAD if you live on the West Coast where we tend to get
a lot less sunshine than other parts of the world at this time
of year.
Type #3: Hormone Imbalances
You’ll know you’re being ‘held hostage’ by
your hormones if you feel particularly blue at one particular stage
of your monthly menstrual cycle. This is when you cry when you see
a baby bird on the ground and cannot seem to stop and then one minute
later, are laughing at a cute cartoon in the newspaper. Chalk it
up to hormones. Menopause is another treatise altogether, but suffice
it to say that the lack of estrogen in one’s body can also
cause temporary feelings of feeling hopeless, helpless, lost, and
unmotivated.
How do I know if it’s Clinical Depression?
This
is the most severe form and differs from the others in that it
is genetic (i.e., it runs in your family) and doesn’t tend to
come and go. You know you’re clinically depressed when you
haven’t gotten out of bed for three weeks, haven’t taken
a shower for a while, and don’t feel like eating. Also, you’ll
have lost interest in social activities. You may even feel that life
isn’t worth living. If this is the case for you, go and see
your family doctor immediately or go to your nearest mental health
clinic. You need professional help. To end, I’ll leave you
with some tips to help you recover from whatever type of “blues” ails
you:
ESTHER’S TOP SEVEN THINGS TO DO TO RELIEVE DEPRESSIVE
SYMPTOMS:
- See your doctor and tell her/him
about how you're feeling. They may suggest medication to lift the depression, which can
do wonders for those suffering. If they don’t seem very
knowledgeable about depression, ask to be referred to a psychiatrist
for an evaluation.
- Educate yourself on holistic approaches
to improving mood such as regular exercise, nutrition, acupuncture,
massage, and herbs and vitamins- there is a lot of very helpful
stuff out there.
- Practise lots of positive self-talk – much
of depression is a result of what we say to ourselves- we need
to learn to 'think happy': when we do this, the brain follows.
- Read as much as you can about
depression and how to manage it. The book I most often recommend is: The Feeling Good Handbook
by David Burns. It's basically a self-help book to overcome/manage
depression and is a great resource. You can purchase it directly
by going to my website (listed in my bio.) and clicking on “books”-
it is listed under “depression/anxiety”.
- Look into getting a special light used
to treat SAD. The
one I use and recommend constantly to my clients is called the "Lite
Book".
- Check out some websites on depression to help
you get started – there are a lot on Google.
- Lastly, find
a good psychotherapist in your community who specializes in treating
depression. The research shows that the best results for moving
through depression are a mix of regular 'cognitive-behavioral'
psychotherapy sessions and anti-depressants.
Want more helpful information like this?
Sign up for my FREE monthly newsletter
(on the left side of the page).
Printable
PDF Version
|