You haven’t felt like yourself for a long time. In fact, it’s hard to remember what being happy even looks like. You’re tired of the negative self-talk, the exhaustion, and the deep sadness.
The truth is that this depression is more than just sadness. And more complicated. There’s shame. Disappointment. Sometimes you even notice fear. Or at least you think you should be afraid of what happens if you never find a way to feel better.
The truth is that life is hard for everyone. And everyone experiences sadness and discouragement. But for some people, these challenges and emotions become depression. The feelings are so deeply rooted in your life that they aren’t easily removed. So, the sadness remains. And the depression becomes overwhelming.
You’ve tried to be happy.
You want to feel happy again. So, you try to focus on the positive things in your life. Try to be grateful. But negative thoughts keep breaking through. You hear yourself saying that other people deserve happiness more than you do. That you’re worthless. That nobody wants you around. Your thoughts are saying that you are to blame for everything in your life that’s gone wrong and that there’s no way out.
You’ve tried other things too. You’ve read self-help books. You have talked to friends and tried that random thing they told you magically cured their depression. Maybe you have even been to see other therapists. But the depression remains.
Sometimes, it seems like a battle: You versus depression
It’s like there’s a constant battle happening within you. And you are losing. Every time you make some ground and start feeling a little bit better, something happens and you find yourself back where you started.
Depression is isolating
Nobody else seems to see or understand what you’re going through. In fact, sometimes you feel like you are invisible to the world. The people who do notice that you aren’t yourself offer simple solutions like, “focus on the positive.” If only it were that easy.
It’s almost like there’s a wall separating you from your friends and family. And it keeps you from feeling connected to them, and it keeps them from fully understanding what you are going through. So, you’re just left feeling lost, lonely and isolated.
Symptoms of Depression
Everyone’s depression feels a little bit different. You are a unique person, so of course, your depression is unique as well. However, here are some of the common symptoms of depression you might be experiencing:
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Feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness
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Exhaustion and Fatigue
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Negative self-talk, self-criticism, and blame
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A sense of isolation
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Depressed mood, or just feeling down
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Changes in appetite or weight
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Less interest or pleasure in activities you’ve always enjoyed
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Moving and/or thinking slower than usual
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Difficulty concentrating
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Thoughts of death or suicide
You want things to be different
The depression is getting old. You’ve decided it’s time to change and you are ready to get some help. This is not the person you want to be. In fact, you don’t want to feel this way for another minute.
You’ve tried reading books, listening to friends’ advice. Maybe, you’ve even tried talking to a different therapist. However, you just ended up feeling even worse.
You are looking for real tools to treat your depression. And you want results that will last. You don’t want a temporary “pick me up” where you feel better for a month or two and then find yourself battling depression that’s worse than ever. You want to find a way out of the pain and you need a therapist who truly understands depression. You’re looking for a therapist who gets it. A therapist who takes your depression seriously and can really help you make lasting changes in your life.
Our therapists offer effective depression treatment.
Our therapists are no stranger to depression. We often see people with very serious depression in our Atlanta area counseling clinic. We understand depression and specialize in depression treatment.
When you come to our counseling office for depression treatment, your counselor will do more than just listen to you talk about your week. Your therapist will help you look more closely at your depression and figure out why you feel this way. Then, you’ll learn specific skills to help you begin feeling better.
Your counselor will help you learn to move past all of that negative self talk to refocus your attention on the here and now. We’ll help you enjoy the moment, feel more calm and create a life worth living. As you begin to develop a new toolbox of skills, you’ll be able to rejoin the world around you again. Slowly, you’ll rebuild and maintain connections with the people you care about.
Therapy for depression isn’t always easy.
At first, it may be hard work. Your brain is really used to being depressed and you don’t have much motivation to try anything new right now. Then, your therapist may ask you to try some skills that seem silly at first. You may have homework to try something new between sessions. Or there may just be days where even getting out of bed to come is a challenge.
Just know that you don’t have to do the hard work of recovering from depression alone. Your therapist will be there every step of the way to support and help you. They’ll encourage you during counseling sessions, celebrate your progress and help you troubleshoot any setbacks.
Depression counseling & DBT for suicidal thoughts
Maybe you’ve had thoughts about death or even past suicide attempts. Sometimes, it feels like the emotional pain you are in is so overwhelming. It’s hard to imagine ever feeling better.
You’ve been reading this page thinking, “Ok, so they help with regular depression. But mine is really bad. I’m not sure anyone can help at this point.”
The good news is that your depression is exactly the type of depression some of our therapists target with Dialectical Behavior Therapy or DBT.
Yes, counseling can even help you if you’ve had thoughts of suicide or engaged in self-harm. Every day people who have had severe depression, suicidal thoughts, or who have made suicide attempts in the past find peace, healing, and hope through counseling.
Therapy helps depression.
The good news is that depression does get better. You don’t have to keep living this way. It might be difficult, but with the help of a skilled therapist who specializes in treating depression, you can find joy again.
After participating in counseling, you’ll have the tool to turn the negative experiences in your life into a positive power. You’ll be able to see the positive in things again and stop dwelling on the negative thoughts. When things get stressful or you feel overwhelmed, you’ll have a toolkit of very specific things you can use to cope with those emotions.
Counseling does more than just help you feel temporary joy again. Your therapist will help you truly create a life worth living and you’ll have tools to cope with stressful periods of your life in the future. Then, you’ll be able to see a future for yourself again. A bright future where you are resilient, have good relationships and are happy to be alive.
Begin therapy for depression in the Atlanta area:
Are you ready to learn the tools needed to overcome the depression that has held you hostage? The therapists at Balance and Potential will support you while you create a life you can finally enjoy again. To begin depression therapy at our Alpharetta, GA counseling clinic, follow these three steps:
- Call or email our office to set up an appointment or an initial free consultation
- Meet with one of our skilled depression therapists
- Begin counseling and find happiness.
Other Services offered at Balance and Potential Therapy in Alpharetta, GA
In addition to depression therapy, our Atlanta Area mental health clinic located in the suburb of Alpharetta, GA also offers individual Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), DBT skills classes for teens and adults, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), anxiety treatment, couples therapy, family therapy, play therapy, and mindfulness training. Contact our clinic to learn more about our counseling services.
