Depression symptoms may include some or all of the following:

·         Feelings of sadness or emptiness

·         Low mood or irritability- every day or nearly every day

·         Loss of pleasure & interest in all things 

·         Problems getting to sleep & staying asleep

·         Feeling exhausted on waking

·         Lacking all motivation & energy

·         Suicidal thoughts

·         Lack of hope

·         Poor concentration

·         Difficulty making decisions

·         Agitation

·         Feelings of guilt or worthlessness

·         Poor self-esteem

·         An Inability to see a way forward/ a way out of your problems

·         Over or under eating

At MindFully Well we believe that Depression is a sign that someone’s life is not working & that they can’t see a way out of their problems. The “message’ of depression is ” I am stuck. I don’t know where to go from here”.

For us, the only long-term cure for depression is for the person’s life to be ‘working’ again – working in the sense of meeting their emotional needs as a human being and for the person affected to be helped to overcome the difficulties underlying their depression, to understand how the symptoms of depression were being generated and to learn how they can protect themselves in the future.

For us, a person with depression is struggling to get their essential emotional needs as a human being met & the aim of our therapy is always to get their life working again – as quickly as we can. 

A person’s life can be ‘stuck’ for many reasons, for instance, they may have suffered 

some loss- for instance, the loss of a partner, a job or of their health  & this may be affecting  their ability to get their emotional needs met.  Or maybe they have had some kind of trauma, or  are missing some essential life skill or knowledge that leads them into the same difficulties again & again. It is easy in these circumstances for the person to blame themselves & feel that there is something wrong with them & that they will never be happy. Depression feeds on feelings & amp; thoughts like this. One common source of difficulty is relationships. Relationships with others: whether family, partners, colleagues or even acquaintances, are a big part of life. If we are not able to get on well with the people around us it can make our life very difficult indeed.

When MindFully Well  therapists work with someone who is depressed, we are looking to understand why they are depressed. What is it that is stopping them getting their emotional needs met? We believe that what is right with you can help you overcome what is wrong- so we build on your strengths, skills & life experiences- these are all things that can help you.

We also explain how depression symptoms are generated by worry & its knock on effect on your sleep & show you some tools that can help. We help you to access your whole brain (when you are depressed, you are locked into your emotional brain -limbic system & amygdala, & so are not able to think clearly). This can help you to get more perspective & start to see the way out of your difficulties. We help you to draw up a plan to address whatever problems in life you are facing & support you, using motivational & performance- enhancing techniques, to make positive changes, in the real world, outside the therapy room, that will help you to get your life working again.

The Chinese have a proverb:

A journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step.

By Ann Marie Taylor  Counsellor/Psychotherapist who holds clinics in Dublin Southside & in Greystones, Co Wicklow.

If you are suffering from depression, you can contact any counsellor – psychotherapist in the MindFully Well network and they will be happy to help you.

Call us – we can help!