How do I know if I am suffering with depression?

Do you feel you have persistent sadness or low mood? This may be with, or without, a tendency to cry. Are you losing interest or pleasure in activities that you used to enjoy?

Other symptoms that could coincide with this:

• Disturbed sleep, maybe you wake up through the night or have difficulty getting to sleep - compared with your usual pattern.
• Maybe you wake early in the morning even after having not slept much.
• Maybe you think you are sleeping too much.
• Feeling tired a lot of the time and feeling like there is no reason for this, general loss of energy.
• Do you feel unusually agitated?
• Poor concentration or indecisiveness. For example, you may find it difficult to read, work, etc. Even simple tasks can seem difficult.
• Feeling worthless, or excessive or inappropriate guilt.
• Maybe your sex drive has reduced. 
• Maybe you feel or have harmed yourself or had suicidal thoughts.
• Are you finding yourself avoiding friends and family?
• You could even be experiencing physical symptoms such as persistent headaches, stomach pains, nausea, general aches and pains around the body bloating, constipation, diarrhoea etc.

If these resonate with you at this time and it is affecting the way you usually live your day to day life. If it feels distressing for you or you are becoming concerned, and you just do not feel your usual self, you could be suffering from depression.

It's important to know you are not alone, nor do you have to be. While many people feel this way at times in their lives there is support out there and it can change for you too. 

There is no fixed timeframe or type of treatment that suits everybody because we are all individual and unique in our lives, but there is a good chance of success and change whichever route you choose. 

At Sarah Harrison counselling I choose to work with an integrative approach to therapy. At the core of this is person-centred but can include psychodynamic, existential, and a variety of creative ways of working. It all depends on what works for you. 

What does integrative therapy mean?

In short it means drawing upon more than one way of working, the blending of relevant theories and interventions to suit the needs of the client. It’s a tailored approach for each individual. 

What are the benefits of integrative therapy?

• Integrative therapists are flexible in their treatment strategies. If one type of therapy isn’t effective or your circumstances change, your therapist can recommend another.
• Your therapist will take the whole of you into account and may ask you questions that consider your whole self. They may ask about habits that impact your daily life, such as sleep, diet, and exercise. 
• You are an individual. Nobody shares your exact story or experiences. Your therapist will consider your unique experience. As what works for one may not work for another.

Depression is hard, it can be overwhelming and debilitating, but it is not a weakness and it is not your fault, it is a real thing. Therapy can help to gain back the control it has taken and find ways of coping.