Depression Therapy and Treatment

Feeling depressed on occasion is something most of us have experienced. However it is substantially different from the debilitating Mood Disorders listed below:

Major Depressive Episode Disorder includes severe symptoms that alter and impair the experience of being in the world physically, emotionally, intellectually and socially.

Depressive Symptoms

• Persistent sad or “empty” mood
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities that are usually fun, including sex
• Restlessness, irritability, or excessive crying
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, hopelessness, pessimism
• Appetite and/or weight loss, or overeating and weight gain
• Decreased energy, fatigue, feeling “slowed down”
• Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
• Persistent negativity or chronic self-esteem problems
• Persistent feeling of being dissatisfied, bored
• Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders and chronic pain

Bipolar Disorder (formerly called “manic-depression) is characterized by severe mood instability which can range from the lows of major depression to the highs of mania. Judgment is often impaired, and this can interfere with the ability to face the diagnosis and need for appropriate treatment. Periods of “normal mood” between the lows and the highs are common and can complicate diagnosis as well as treatment.

Bipolar Disorder is considered a genetic condition, but oftentimes the manifestation of it occurs after the stress of a trauma.

Manic Symptoms

• A period of a persistently elevated (even euphoric), expansive or irritable mood
• Decreased need for sleep
• Pressured speech that is loud, rapid and difficult to interrupt
• Grandiosity or inflated self-esteem
• Excessive involvement in pleasurable activities with high potential for painful consequences

Dysthymia is characterized by less severe depressive symptoms. But it is a chronic condition which interferes with functioning at one’s best. It can be a precursor to Major Depressive Disorder, so taking positive steps for treatment is highly recommended.

Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood is covered by some, but not all insurances (some consider it to be less serious). However, they consider it serious enough that if you apply for insurance within 12 months of having an adjustment disorder, some insurances will offer you a higher rate or deny you services. Our recommendation would generally be to get treatment and meet your needs. Your well-being is worth it, and it does not take long to address this condition.

For more detailed information about the above diagnoses, please consult the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV-TR) published by the American Psychiatric Association. 

Some depression is rooted in trauma, whether due to loss and grief, untreated or incompletely treated PTSD, or varying degrees of relational difficulty, which may include acts of abuse and/or acts of omission, such as neglect or abandonment. Although depression has major biological components, trauma therapies can help one clear emotional and cognitive distress from key disturbing events related to depression, such as a trauma in which one felt helpless and hopeless, witnessing depression or other mental illness in loved ones, or experiencing abuse or neglect by others, or experiencing the horror and helplessness of prior self-harming events.

Trauma therapies can also help, through performance enhancement protocols, to build the skills of holistic self-care useful to manage even a purely biologically-based depression. Some individuals will need medications to normalize an imbalance in brain chemicals, to stabilize moods, or to help with hormones affecting their moods. Other people have had traumatic experiences with medications, which could beneficially be cleared through trauma therapy. Exercise, nutritional counseling and supplementation may be helpful to some depressed persons who refuse, or cannot tolerate or benefit from medications. Because of the chemical factors in depression, it is important to investigate whether medications or supplements could be right for you. This should be done by consulting with a qualified health-care physician. (There are no medical doctors on our website that can prescribe or rule out any health issues which could be causing or contributing to your condition. These issues could include thyroid or hormonal abnormalities, drug reactions or other possible physical contributors. Traditional as well as alternative health-care professionals, such as Primary Care MD’s, Psychiatrists, Naturopaths, Acupuncturists and others, are resources some people seek and may be very worthwhile to consider.)

People with depression can find it hard to meet their needs. Sometimes they find it hard to identify what their needs are and what specific support could help them meet their needs, whether from loved ones or their health care team. Often, they were not taught these skills and need to learn them. EMDR and other transformational therapies can make it easier to gain comfort and skill in these new areas.

Using EMDR and related trauma therapies to treat some forms of depression has the advantage of helping to dislodge the persistent negative thoughts that go along with negative past or present experiences. At the same time, they are also useful in promoting spontaneous expressions of new, positive thinking leading to the opportunity for new, healthy experiences. Please call one of our specialists now, and open the door to new possibilities for you and your life. 

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