Experiencing Depression

As part of depression therapy, you will learn coping skills to help you withstand your triggers – when the feelings associated with depression are at their apex.

You will also learn how to become mindful of how others affect your mood and emotions and what to do about it.

One of the challenges of therapy is that to get out of it requires engaging in activities that while depressed will likely feel impossible.

It takes a tremendous dose of perseverance to get moving when we feel apathy and low energy. During the course of therapy, you’ll learn skills to manage your depression. You will learn to disengage from negative thoughts and treat them as information, rather than absolute truths, so they have less influence over your behaviour.

Depression is often associated with seeing things from a dark perspective. We develop a negative bias towards our own lives. When we feel worthless, useless, or unlovable, we pay attention to cues that confirm those feelings to the detriment of all other cues. This skewed perspective often reinforces feelings of sadness and prolong the depression.

Recognizing those blind spots where our perspective is darker than reality calls for is a big step toward living a healthier life.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is recognized as the most effective treatment for depression.

Antidepressant medication alone has a poor record in fighting depression on its own. An antidepressant accompanied with therapy might be effective for some individuals.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI’s) are medications that can help minimize symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Although our talk therapists do not prescribe medication, they might refer you to a psychiatrist if they believe you might benefit from using antidepressant medication.