Depression Therapy in Montclair
For When Everything Feels Heavy
The iconic and soulful Billie Holiday sang:
“Good morning, heartache, you ole gloomy sight
Good morning, heartache, thought we said goodbye last night
I turned and tossed until it seemed you had gone
But here you are with the dawn.”
Most people with depression can relate to that, though the reality is much less poetic. We all feel sad at times, but depression is persistent. It can show up as low mood, fatigue, decreased appetite, loss of motivation, not wanting to get out of bed, and feelings of hopelessness. It can range from mild to severe, just dragging you down a bit or significantly interfering with your daily activities. I generally treat mild to moderate depression.
We all want things to go our way but often that doesn’t happen. Most people will receive a blow that knocks them down at some point, or degradation can come from a slow grinding down that is exhausting and demoralizing. The fact is that sorrow is an inevitable part of life. A Native American proverb states, “The soul would have no rainbow if the eyes had no tears.”
The good news is that learning how to recover and be more resilient is possible with support. In middle school I remember getting a poster with a picture of a sunrise on it. The caption read “Each dawn is a new beginning.” Perhaps corny but true. We can’t change the past, but every day and every moment, we get a chance to take a breath and begin again. Reaching out for help is a sign of courage and is the first step to overcoming depression, sadness, and loneliness. In therapy you can identify the nature of the depression and loosen its grip on you. Sometimes medication can help but that is more effective when combined with therapy.
Sometimes there is a clear cause to depression, but not always. It can be due to trauma, genetics, painful situations, or too much stress over time, to name a few possibilities. Grief is a natural part of life that one can learn how to manage but if that isn’t done, it can really pull you down. Self-deprecation makes things worse. You beat yourself up before anyone else does, but then you are. . . beat up.
You might have tried many therapies or perhaps this is your first time putting your toe in the water. I work with you to go at a pace that feels comfortable for you.
I often hear people say that they see things differently after speaking out loud about a topic they have been stewing on. This frequently allows them to come up with their own solutions. Having a chance to tune into their body can provide a resource they didn’t know they had. Taking a step to feel better prevents the negativity from winning.
Plenty of people improve just by having a space to talk about what’s weighing them down. Sometimes a somatic approach can be the extra tool that is needed, especially if you have physical symptoms. Depression might make you not feel like talking and making the effort to be socially appropriate. Or maybe you’ve talked about it and nothing has changed. But the body always speaks. Allowing you to express your feelings through your body language can take the pressure off “doing” therapy and lead you to new places.
Viktor Frankl wrote, “Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.” Give yourself a chance to reframe your attitude and find comfort. We often get distracted by unimportant things, but life is precious and you deserve a chance to make the most of it.
