Depression Counselling

Things you should know about Depression

• Depression is a serious illness. It is more severe than normal sadness, lasts longer than two weeks, and can prevent you from living the life you want.
• There are different types of depression, with their own symptoms, causes and treatments.
• If you’re depressed, you are not alone – Around one million Australian adults and 100,000 young people live with depression each year. Around one in six people will experience depression in their lifetime.
• Clinical depression will not go away on its own and the longer you leave it the harder it is to beat it.
• Depression is treatable – You do not have to continue to suffer!  There are effective, affordable and readily available treatments for depression that work for the vast majority of people.
• You have nothing to lose and everything to gain ….. but to beat depression you have to take that first step: recognise that you can’t go it alone and seek help.

If you need help call us on Brisbane (07) 3352 3577 or fill out our online booking & enquiry form and we’ll contact you.

Is depression stopping you from living the life you want?

Depression is a serious condition that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act.

It can have a significant and detrimental impact on all areas of your life including family relationships, friendships, work, and your ability to do the things you want to do.

If you, or someone you know, if suffering from depression you may recognise some of the following symptoms -

• Unusual and prolonged sadness
• A loss of interest in activities that were previously enjoyed
• Constant tiredness and lack of energy
• Difficulty sleeping, oversleeping, or waking much earlier than usual
• Loss of appetite or overeating
• A sense of hopelessness and pessimism
• Feelings of helplessness, guilt, and worthlessness
• Difficulty concentrating, making decisions, and remembering things
• Restlessness, irritability and excessive crying

Am I depressed or is what I’m feeling normal?

Everyone experiences a few of these feelings or behaviours from time to time. However, if you have experienced some of the symptoms listed above for two weeks or longer, and they interfere with your ability to manage your life, you could be suffering from depression.

You can take a simple FREE TEST here to get a better idea of whether you might be suffering from depression and if you should seek an expert opinion from a psychologist or your GP.

Do not to wait for things to get worse.

Clinical depression is not a sign of personal weakness, or a condition that can be willed away. If you are clinically depressed you can’t just “pull yourself together”. In fact, clinical depression often interferes with your ability or wish to get help. If left untreated depression can last for weeks, months and sometimes years. It may even influence you to contemplate or attempt suicide

If you are at the point where depression is seriously affecting important aspects of your life you must seek professional help.

We Can Help You. Psychological Counselling for Depression

We have helped hundreds of people just like you manage and overcome depression.

• Become happy again
• Find joy in your life
• Start doing the things you get pleasure from
• Re-engage with the people you love
• Regain your drive, motivation, and energy
• Learn skills to prevent you from becoming depressed again.

Depression, even the most severe cases, is highly treatable. As with many illnesses, the earlier that treatment begins, the more effective it is and the greater the likelihood that a recurrence can be prevented.

If you need help call us on Brisbane (07) 3352 3577 or fill out our online booking & enquiry form and we’ll contact you.

We are here to help you. Make a call to live the life you want.

Sources:

The Centre for Mental Health Research, (2010) What works for depression (and what doesn’t), The Blue Pages. The Australian National University: Canberra (see www.bluepages.anu.edu.au/treatments)

Common names and related terms include the blues, the black dog, depressive disorder, depressed mood, sadness, major depression, dysthymia, bipolar disorder, mixed depression and anxiety, post natal depression

Please Note – Ahead Psychology does not provide emergency crisis counselling. If you or someone you know needs crisis counselling, call Lifeline’s 24 hour telephone crisis support service 13 11 14. If you are facing a medical emergency from self-harm call an ambulance (000) or go to the emergency department of your local hospital.