Therapy for Depression

Maybe just getting out of bed in the morning feels like climbing a mountain. Perhaps you feel heavy and weighed down, as if you’re going through life with a thousand-pound load on your back. Deep down, maybe you just don’t feel good about who you are. As a result, it’s hard to find the motivation to do anything. You might find yourself going out less and less, neglecting your hobbies and passions, and letting your most meaningful relationships fall by the wayside.

For the first time, perhaps you’re asking yourself: Do I have depression? Is this a passing phase or something I should seek help for?

Depression often goes hand-in-hand with isolation.

When you’re dealing with depression, it’s normal to find yourself in a downward spiral of isolation and avoidance. You may feel badly about being depressed and go out of your way to avoid people because you don’t want to be seen as a “downer.” When people ask you what’s wrong, you may not know how to answer. Your feelings are so overwhelming that you don’t feel like going into it, so you just isolate more.

Yet the more you keep to yourself, the worse you probably feel. People may stop checking in on you and you might find yourself losing interest in the activities that used to make you happy. In this way, depression causes you to avoid doing the very things that would make you feel better.

If you want to break out of this downward spiral and live a more fulfilling and empowered life, we encourage you to pursue counseling with us. At the Therapy for Women Center in Philadelphia and virtually, our counselors specialize in helping people overcome their depression symptoms, boost their confidence, and enjoy healthier connections with others.

Depression is the result of a disconnected society.

As a culture, we are more connected than we’ve ever been—we’re able to see everyone’s happy lives all over social media and keep in touch with people from all over the world. At the same time, however, we are much less likely to have close friends, live near family members, or enjoy the support systems that previous generations did. So in spite of how connected we are digitally, we have become increasingly disconnected in the modern age.

This disconnection has created a cultural breeding ground for depression. After all, depression thrives in isolation. When we’re left to our own devices, we’re more likely to spiral down, lose perspective, and believe the lies that depression tells us. The more we surround ourselves with people who are loving, compassionate, and understanding, the more likely we are to see that life is not hopeless and depression is not the defining feature of our story.

Many people resist seeking help because of the stigma around depression.

Growing up, many of us were taught that happiness is a choice and that we just need to “pull ourselves up by the bootstraps” if we feel depressed. In our highly individualistic society, we’re told that all we need to do is work hard, stay busy, and think positively and we’ll be able to break out of depression. Naturally, this leads many people with depression to feel ashamed and embarrassed to admit they need help.

Contrary to popular belief, however, you cannot just think your way out of depression. Depression is self-sabotaging by nature. It takes away the energy, motivation, and perspective needed to feel better. It clouds your ability to believe that things could get better, convincing you that life is hopeless no matter what you do.

Therapy is a chance to challenge this mindset and realize that, despite what depression tells you, there is hope for the future.