Depression

Having rises and dips in mood is not unhealthy, in fact it’s quite normal. Most of us feel happy sometimes, blue other times, depending on what is happening in and around us. Depression, however, is a dip in mood that seems to hang around too long and starts to interfere with our ability to feel good and function well.

This disturbance of mood can be mild, moderate, or severe. In its mildest form, it simply strips our daily life of joy. In it’s most severe form, it can make us wish for early death. It can also have different causes: a reactive depression arises in response to something that’s going on in our life; an endogenous depression seems to come “out of nowhere.” The fact that endogenous depression seems to occur in families suggests that it might have a genetic component. So it’s complicated, and the question of how to treat it - brief therapy, exploratory therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, expressive therapy, medication, exercise, diet, etc. is best discussed with a professional who understands the nature of mood and the range of treatment options.

If you think you may be suffering from depression, call Samantha (508-207-7149) to set up an introductory appointment. Then you can decide where to go from there.