Mental health issues don’t disappear just because there’s a pandemic. If anything, depression and anxiety is heightened by the drastic changes that everyone is currently facing.
Whether you have always battled with it, or it’s snuck up on you in the last few months, depression can make you feel as if you won’t ever experience life the way you used to. Fifth Street Counseling Center is here to help you get back on your feet and show that depression does not have to stop you from enjoying your life.
Depression & Counseling During A Pandemic
The UN has warned of a mental health crisis following the uncertainty and fear that has come with the coronavirus. You may be experiencing any of the following:
- Extreme loneliness. Social distancing prevents you from interacting with people as you usually would, which quickly takes a toll on your mental health.
- Financial uncertainty. You or your partner may have lost your job or have had to lay off people beneath you for the sake of your business. The stress following job loss can easily lead to depression and shouldn’t be ignored.
- Increased screen-time. Screen addiction can lead to mental and physical repercussions when not managed correctly. The extra time at home might mean you’ve been spending more time scrolling.
- Situational depression. Situational depression is a type of adjustment disorder which people are facing worldwide. Healthcare workers are witnessing thousands of patients infected with and dying from the coronavirus, children and students are isolated from their peers, and the world is experiencing an increase in anxiety and depression because of it.
- Loss of family members or friends. Grief can play a big role in the development or furthering of depression, especially when your usual support systems are not readily accessible to you.
Depression can follow any traumatic event, and there is currently global trauma due to Covid-19.
Here are a few warning signs of depression you can look out for in yourself or a loved one, so that you can get the help you need as soon as possible.
What Does Depression Look Like?
Depression goes deeper than the sadness you feel after a bad day. It is a persistent, hindering mental health issue that last for months, years, or your entire life.
Depression looks different from person to person, but there are some common symptoms you should be aware of:
- General hopelessness or ‘empty’ feeling
- Loss of interest in work or hobbies
- Significant weight loss or weight gain
- Large changes in sleeping patterns
- Restlessness and irritation
- Fatigue
- Indecisiveness
- Excessive feeling of guilt and/or worthlessness
- Suicidal thoughts
- Difficulty concentrating
When Should You Seek Help?
If you or a loved one experience around five or more of these symptoms every day for at least two weeks, and if the symptoms are severe enough to affect your daily activities, there is a high chance you are dealing with depression and should get help. Therapy or counseling can make a huge difference in how you feel and function day-to-day.
Counseling For Depression
Depression is highly treatable, with around 80% to 90% of people responding to treatment such as therapy, counseling, and medication. Most people will see a counselor at least once in their life, each one for a unique reason. Fifth Street Counseling Center provides you with a safe place to work through trauma, past experiences, or major life changes that may be worsening or causing depression.
What Is Depression Counseling?
A depression counselor is a trained professional who helps you work through mental health issues by letting you talk about your thoughts, feelings, and struggles. They then provide insight and coping techniques in an unbiased and empathetic way.
Counseling for depression typically focuses on present thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and it looks at how your life is being affected by them. Your counselor will help reshape negative thinking patterns while tracking your progress and making adjustments as time passes. You might also work on communication skills so that you are able to state what you need from certain people in your life, such as help around the house from your partner, or a more reasonable workload from your boss.
Benefits Of Depression Counseling
There are many reasons to consider counseling. The main reason is that understanding why you feel the way you do is the first step towards healing. Counseling offers objective views and opinions on problems that you have previously only seen from your perspective, and then allows you to explore the beliefs and feelings that support the issue. At Fifth Street Counseling Center, you will learn to deal with symptoms as they appear and stop the negative thought patterns that often come with depression.
Talk therapy and counseling have been shown to be helpful in both long-term and short-term depression. The focus is on getting you back to normal as soon as possible, with the support of safe, unbiased counselor. Depression counseling causes you to develop a greater sense of self-awareness that allows you to understand the roots of your depression, which in turn allows you to cope with everyday life.
Affordable Counseling For Depression In Broward County
Depression is not something you have to face alone. Fifth Street Counseling Center has provided quality mental health care in the Broward County since 1991. We accept Medicaid and all major insurance and we offer affordable self-pay rates. Contact us at 954-797-5222 to schedule a counseling session and get back on your feet, today.
