Depression untreated

According to Radio Four’s Today Programme back in 2014, Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, advocated psychological therapies, saying “we have doubled investment”.

Furthermore, in an article by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), they highlight the benefits of counselling. BACP said that the Government’s own figures point to a net saving to the taxpayer of £300 million by 2015. This Government recognition provides credibility for the service that counsellors offer.

Depression left untreated is dangerous and leads to suicide in many cases. Is it worth the risk not to seek counselling for yourself?

In my experience, many people tend to blame themselves, believing that they deserve their illness. This is simply not the case. Would you think you deserved it if you had an accident and broke your arm? I doubt it! But depression can make you feel like this.

In the darkest days of experiencing depression, you can feel isolated and can experience a loss of energy and complete blackness to your day. Everything becomes a struggle (even lifting a kettle), and you can feel as if the world would be a better place if you were not in it. This is normal for depression and in its darker moments, it can make you feel like this, or worse.

You may be resistant to taking medication. In my experience medication and counselling can go hand in hand and can work well together. You may be fearful of taking antidepressants, but sometimes they are necessary - think of them like you might a toolkit when a car breaks down.

Depression is not your fault and does not have to be faced alone. Counselling can help you to feel better about yourself and to discover new ways of coping.

The BACP say that, “even after seven years [the Government’s] IAPT programme is still failing to reach its own modest target of entering 15% of the estimated 6.7 million people in the UK with depression and/or anxiety”.

They go on to say “five million people in the UK receive no treatment”.

Scandalous? I think so! Do not allow yourself to become another one of those statistics. A sad fact, very often,  is that if you do not help yourself, nobody else is going to do it for you. However, you needn't feel alone. Many of us right here on the Counselling Directory can do it with you!

One of my favourite quotes is Einstein's definition of insanity: "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result'! Why not consider taking some positive step towards your recovery and discover the changes you can make through counselling?