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Online Depression Therapy

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What is Depression?
Symptoms of Depression
Causes of Depression
How Teletherapy Can Help With Depression

Struggling with depression? Look to CHE Behavioral Health Sciences for their leading online depression therapy.

What is Depression?

Life can be tough sometimes and feeling sad occasionally is a normal human experience. When sadness lingers though and is combined with feelings of hopelessness and a lack of interest or motivation, you may be struggling with depression. Depression can feel unshakeable - like no matter what you do, you just can’t quite feel better. You may feel tired a lot and have little desire to engage in activities you normally enjoy. Often, there may be no clear reason why you started feeling this way. In fact, from the outside, your life may look wonderful, yet...you just can’t get going.

If you identify with these feelings, please know you are not alone. Depression is quite common, and psychotherapy with a qualified clinician can help. You have taken the first step already by asking questions and seeking out services.

Symptoms of Depression

Depression runs on a continuum, from mild to severe and can vary depending on the person. Some people may experience chronic bouts of crying while others feel apathetic or report an inability to feel anything at all. One of the key factors in identifying clinical depression is it interrupts your ability to function in your daily life. A diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder--the most common mood disorder diagnosis given-- involves exhibiting at least five of the symptoms listed below over at least a two week period.

Depressed mood
Diminished interest or pleasure in activities you normally enjoy
Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain or decrease or increase in appetite
Sleeping too much or inability to sleep
Slowed movements
Fatigue or loss of energy
Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt
Inability to concentrate
Recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying) or suicide

Depression may also manifest physically such as in unexplainable body aches, headaches, and other somatic symptoms. It is also important to recognize clinical depression is not the same as ordinary sadness or even the feelings of grief a person may experience as the result of a traumatic event. It is also important to note that you may not meet the full criteria for a depressive order but may still be experiencing subclinical depression.

As you can see, depression can be complex. Unfortunately, a mental health diagnosis isn’t like being diagnosed with cancer or diabetes where a blood test can give you a definitive answer.

If you feel you may be suffering from depression, it is important to reach out to a trained mental health professional.

Causes of Depression

The truth is, we do not always know what causes depression. There can be multiple factors that lead to clinical depression. A few of the factors we know contribute are:

Trauma

Traumatic events, such as loss or being the victim of loss, can lead to depression. When something traumatic happens to an individual such that it overwhelms the person’s coping mechanisms, depression is often one result.

Systemic Inequality and Social Issues

Research indicates those who suffer from systemic inequalities such as racial, gender, sexual, or economic disparities (to name a few) are at a greater risk for experiencing depression. Our social world impacts our mental well-being.

Physical Conditions

Underlying physical conditions such as thyroid disorders, physical pain, and blood sugar issues have been shown to influence depression.

Genetics / Brain Chemistry

There is some evidence to support a genetic link in clinical depression, with studies suggesting that about 40% of depression can be attributed to depression. The remaining 60% is due to environmental factors such as those mentioned above.

How Teletherapy Can Help With Depression

In most cases, depression responds well to treatment. Depending on the underlying causes, there are multiple treatments that may work:

Psychotherapy

Talk therapy with a trained mental health professional has been shown to be highly effective for those experiencing depression. Psychotherapy allows you to work through traumatic events and other feelings you may be experiencing in a safe space with an unbiased therapist. Psychotherapy may help you develop better coping skills, reduce psychological distress, examine past events that may be contributing to your current patterns, change negative thought patterns impacting your well-being, and develop greater freedom for yourself through self-exploration.

There are different types of evidence-based psychotherapy and CHE employees psychologists of varying therapeutic orientations including:

Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic
Cognitive Behavioral
Humanistic / Existential
Eclectic / Integrative
Behavioral

Teletherapy has been shown to be as effective as in-person psychotherapy for most mental health conditions. It is convenient and easy to simply log in and connect with your therapist. Most report enjoying the ease and privacy of connecting with their therapist from home.

Psychiatry

At times, you may need to utilize medication to help alleviate depression. This is not always the case; however, if you find that your depression isn’t lifting, there are medications that may help.

Lifestyle Changes

Research indicates that lifestyle changes such as engaging in exercise, improving your nutrition, and meditation may help in reducing depressed mood. Typically, making lifestyle changes works best when combined with psychotherapy.

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* If you feel you are experiencing a crisis that needs immediate attention or you believe you are a danger to yourself or others, please go to your nearest emergency room OR call 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255.*

For additional resources and immediate assistance, please click below:
http://suicideprevention.wikia.com

Anxiety

Anxiety is a sense of unease, nervousness, or dread that may occur before or during certain events (such as public speaking or unfamiliar situations), or that may be more general--often coloring your whole life. A certain level of anxiety can be healthy, helping keep us alert, aware, and motivating us to solve problems and perform well; however, if anxiety becomes so overwhelming and debilitating that it prevents you from engaging in and enjoying your life, you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder.

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Depression

Depression can feel unshakeable - like no matter what you do, you just can't quite feel better. You may feel tired a lot and have little desire to engage in activities you normally enjoy. Often, there may be no clear reason why you started feeling this way. If you identify with these feelings, please know you are not alone. Depression is quite common, and psychotherapy with a qualified clinician can help. You have taken the first step already by asking questions and seeking out services.

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Grief

Grief is a strong, sometimes overwhelming emotion, that stems from a loss. Some examples of loss include the death of a loved one, the ending of a relationship, job loss, or other traumatic experiences of loss. Grief may initially involve feeling numb but may also involve a range of emotions from deep sadness to anger to guilt. While most people will experience a significant loss at some point, grief is a deeply personal experience that feels profound and overtakes one's life. It is important to remember: everyone grieves differently, and there is no right or wrong way to grieve or right or wrong way to feel.

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Stress

Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension that, over time, can wear you down. Stress can be acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term) and is often the result of situations that make you feel powerless, frustrated, afraid, or in danger. Small amounts of stress can motivate us to get things done and perform as needed; however, if we are faced with stressors we do not believe we can cope with or long term stress, these can negatively impact mental and physical health.

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Anger

Anger is a normal emotion we all experience. Anger is often an emotion you feel when you perceive someone has deliberately “done you wrong” or when you feel mistreated or injured. People vary greatly as to what makes them angry, how often they feel angry, and how intense the feelings of anger may be. Anger becomes a problem when it becomes so overwhelming that it negatively impacts your relationships, jobs, legal standing, or your emotional well-being. If you feel you have trouble controlling your anger, this is often an indicator that your anger may be out of your control.

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Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is a person's overall sense of self-worth or personal value. It entails a self-evaluation and one's beliefs and judgments about her/himself. Unhealthy self-esteem occurs when a person feels badly about her/himself and lacks confidence. People with low-self esteem are often more self critical and hard on themselves. If you have low self-esteem, you may find you avoid pursuing meaningful activities or social activities because you feel inferior to others or are worried about rejection. This may lead you to take less initiative in your education or career, prevent you from seeking out meaningful relationships, and be more accepting of poor treatment from your family, friends, and romantic partners.

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Relationship Difficulties

Relationships enhance our lives, but they aren't always easy. Conflicts with partners, spouses, friends, and family members can leave you feeling sad, angry, and frustrated with little idea of how to solve the problem. Examining negative and repetitive relationship patterns can help identify where you may be stuck and move your relationships forward in a way that feels joyful and healthier.

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Trauma

Trauma comes in many forms and can occur when an event or series of events overwhelms the body and psyche's ability to cope, resulting in an inability to move past the trauma. PTSD is the most well-known diagnosis (cluster of symptoms) that can result from severe forms of trauma; however, it is not the only one. Trauma is highly individual and what may be traumatic for one person may not necessarily be for another. If you feel frightened, overwhelmed, and are experiencing constant triggers, teletherapy can help.

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Systemic Oppression and Discrimination

Research consistently shows that our social environment and life experiences have a significant impact on mental health and that groups who suffer social disadvantage, discrimination, and oppression have higher rates of mental distress. Generally speaking, systemic oppression and discrimination occurs when the laws of a society create unequal treatment of specific groups of people (i.e, racial, gender, ethnic, sexuality, physical ability, to name a few). It is the mistreatment of groups of people enforced by the institutions of society. Because it is “systemic,” it can often go unrecognized.

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Other

Life difficulties can manifest in innumerable ways. If you feel you can benefit from support in the service of your mental health, you do not need a specific diagnosis to reach out. Teletherapy can help with any number of life stressors and conditions. Teletherapy is not just for the treatment of a specific disorder, though it can be for that as well. Teletherapy is also for those looking to explore their lives in fuller detail as a way of relieving patterns and symptoms that feel overwhelming and unwanted. Self-growth and understanding are often reasons people seek out therapy - to work on improving their relationships, understanding one's identity and values and living a life consistent with those values, and learning healthy ways to cope with life's inevitable ups and downs.