How Do You Know If You (or a loved one) Is Suffering From Depression?
This is how we approach depression therapy at ShiftGrit
Depression impacts more people than you probably think- and in a variety of ways. Sometimes it looks like sadness, despair and hopelessness, other times it looks like irritability or a feeling of wanting to withdraw from the world- even things we used to love. Sometimes the symptoms of depression are easier to spot and sometimes, they are more concealed. Keep this in mind when thinking about whether you or your loved one is dealing with depression.
How Do You Know if Someone Close to You Has Depression?
Common Symptoms Include:
- Anhedonia or decreased interest or pleasure in a lot of activities
- A down mood, a lot of the time
- Physical symptoms- tension headaches, weight fluctuations, IBS symptoms and more
- Negative inner dialogue
- Low energy
- Sleep issues
- Trouble focusing or staying focused
- Struggling with motivation
- Irritability, low mood, anger outbursts or crying spells
What Causes Depression?
There are actually a few ways depression can develop, and many ways that it can be made worse.
Physiological dysfunction: This means the depression results from issues or imbalances. A lot of the time, medication can help in these cases, in combination with therapy for depression.
Circumstance: In some cases, depression can be triggered by a specific event such as a loss of a loved one, divorce, loss of job/career. These events can be very stressful because of the way they are perceived and the meaning they attach to them.
Chronic stress: Large amounts of stress over a period of time can bring with it physical symptoms of depression. Remember that chronic stress looks different for different people; it’s not just job stress, it could be related to social anxiety, caregiver burnout, chronic illnesses, pandemic worries etc.
Childhood experiences: Sometimes, a history of physical/emotional/sexual abuse and other “Non-nurturing elements” or Adverse Childhood Experiences can contribute to the development of depression later on in life.
How Does ShiftGrit’s Depression Treatment Work?
Here, we have a well-informed theory on how many kinds of depression develop and what makes it worse. For more on how humans get unhappy, check this out. We will explore both your loved one’s risk and developmental factors. Then, we identify the root causes of their depression.
Once we know the root cause, we use our two stage therapy program to banish their depression and improve resistance to them becoming depressed in the future.
In the first stage, we’ll teach their cognitive, thinking mind why and how their depression is created and what keeps it active in their life.
In the second stage, we train their subconscious, (your early, instinctive brain) to replace problematic behavioural, emotional and thought responses with more helpful ones. We do this so the new responses are automatic- like a well-formed habit, so they don’t have to apply a strategy or remember them each time.
After we identify the root, teach them about the cause, and we retrain their automatic responses (using a well-curated combination of exposure, classical conditioning and mindfulness/somatic therapy), they are able to do the things that keep people in balance, fulfilled and happy- like eating well and exercising, regulating mood, accomplishing goals, sleeping well and capably managing stressors as they pop up.
Without ingraining a new mindset and removing the influence of past disturbances or traumas, enacting positive behaviours can be a major struggle, leaving them stuck and feeling powerless.
Our therapy takes a bit of time, a bit of investment and a bit of work but it creates the ability to hit it out of the park at work or school, have great and healthy relationships, manage stress, create healthy habits and have a joy filled and value-driven life. It’s what we all want for the people in our lives who struggle with depression or with regulating mood.
Using our protocol, ShiftGrit therapists are specially trained to treat the origin of the depression and reset risk factors such as ingrained limiting beliefs, isolation from friends and family, overloading with work, struggles with social interactions or previous trauma. Then comes the fun part- filling the mental real estate and time that these were taking up with purpose, fun and connection.
How do I help get someone I care about into therapy?
We always want to encourage people to make their own choice about whether they are ready to start therapy or not. Having a conversation with people can be really helpful, though, especially when it takes the form of information or personal experience sharing, rather than “you should” or judgment. And, if someone you care about is suffering from depression sometimes the best thing you can do for them is let them know you see them and they aren’t alone.