Depression | The Spring Clinic

Understanding Depression

What is Depression?

Depression is a mental health condition that causes feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and hopelessness. It affects millions of people around the world and can be caused by a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors.

Symptoms of depression can range from mild to severe and can vary from person to person. Some common symptoms include:

Feeling sad or anxious for most of the day, nearly every day
Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
Changes in appetite and weight
Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
Feeling tired and lacking energy
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
Feelings of worthlessness, guilt, or hopelessness
Suicidal thoughts or behaviors

How can depression be treated?

Understood in diagnostic terms, there are several types of depression, including major depressive disorder, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, and persistent depressive disorder. Each type of depression has its own unique symptoms and treatment options.

Depression can be treated with therapy, medication, or a combination of both. Medications, such as antidepressants, can help alleviate symptoms of depression including low mood, fatigue and feeling unmotivated. Studies have found that therapy is as effective as anti-depressants and that the more positive results come from the combination of therapy and medication, than medication alone.

Psychotherapy can support the alleviation of depression through exploring the root causes and understanding how low mood might be a secondary result of how we attempt to process or manage difficult experiences historically or day-to-day. Psychodynamic therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy offer short-term, manualised approaches to working through feelings of depression.

How we treat depression in Carlton at The Spring Clinic

Different therapeutic models think of depression differently. Below are some brief explanations of different ways of understanding and approaching treatment for depression, which are offered at The Spring Clinic.

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy for Depression

Psychodynamic therapy sees depression as caused by unresolved feelings related to grief or loss. The loss of energy, motivation and connection to the world which is common to depression is understood as the outcome of repressing or disconnecting from essential emotions. We could then consider that a depressed person’s way of coping with difficult experiences through dissociating from painful emotions, leads to a general experience of being “cut off” not only from their self, but from the world around them. Psychodynamic therapy then endeavors to slowly contact previously unexpressed feelings of sadness or anger, to begin to help somebody with depression to feel connected to their embodied experience, their desires and to those around them.

Interpersonal Therapy for Depression

Interpersonal Therapy believes that relationships are a key source of meaning within our lives and that without adequate social connection, we will begin to experience mental health symptoms. Interpersonal therapy would view depression as caused by a relationship loss or death, a lack of social connection or difficulties with having meaningful relationships. In interpersonal therapy, depression is treated through identifying the social skills, opportunities and insights that will be necessary to build and maintain relationships, or to recover from a loss.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for treating Depression

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a popular therapeutic approach to relieving the symptoms of depression. A cognitive behavioral therapist will help you to identify the negative thoughts and beliefs which produce and maintain depression. For instance, somebody make have a historical belief that “I am lonely because nobody likes me because I am not interesting”. That person may then shy away from social interactions or approach socialising with a defeated and hopeless demeanor. This mindset may lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy, as the individual becomes isolated from others or is disengaged within social interactions, which leads to negative social feedback and reinforcement of the belief that they are not liked and therefore alone. CBT treats depression through challenging those negative beliefs and supporting the implementation of more positive thinking. The principle is that through thinking differently and challenging depressing thoughts, positive thoughts will lead to more positive experiences and outcomes, leading to less depressed thoughts and feelings.

Finding the right support for depression

As you will find, these therapeutic models have different but valid ways of understanding and treating depression. What is most important, is that your practitioner can understand your experience and then use the most appropriate model for your circumstances. At The Spring Clinic we have psychologists, psychotherapists and counsellors who all have different training and interests. When you contact our team, we will take the time to learn about your situation and then offer you an idea of which practitioner would best suit your needs and preferences. All of our therapists are also trained into multiple modalities, so they will be able to adjust the therapeutic process to your needs over time in therapy.

Supportive tools for Self - Care
that you can begin using today

Implementing the tools that we know help our general well-being are especially hard when we are depressed. Below is a list of things we all know help to generally lift our mood, but that we sometimes need reminders of when times are hard -

Exercise: Exercise has been shown to be an effective treatment for depression. Regular exercise can improve mood, reduce anxiety, and increase energy levels.

Nutrition: Eating a well-balanced diet can help improve mood and energy levels. Make sure to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

Sleep: Getting enough sleep is essential for managing depression. Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep per night.

Social support: Spending time with loved ones, joining a support group, or volunteering can provide social support and reduce feelings of loneliness.

Meaningful activities: Pick one thing to do today, which represents your values. Even if you don't feel like doing it, identify one activity and do it anyway - you may be surprised by how you feel afterwards.