Depression is a hot topic that seems to be thrown around in everyday conversations about mental health. It can manifest in many forms, and its severity can range from mild to severe, requiring various types of treatment.
While there is no cure for depression, there are many ways people cope when they find themselves experiencing one or more of the many symptoms of depression. One of the ways to cope with depression is to seek help from a mental health counselor. But, can counseling actually help with depression?
A Counselor Can Provide Objective Advice
Sometimes when people feel themselves overcome with depression symptoms, they can feel that nobody is there to listen. Even family members, who should have your best interests in mind, may not be very helpful, as they are likely too close to you to offer objective, unbiased advice.
Talk therapy with a mental health professional can be a great alternative to confiding in friends and family about your depression. Your counselor will likely give you a great degree of control over the conversation, will listen to you without judgment, and will be able to maintain a sense of objectivity since they do not have a personal attachment to you.
A Counselor Can Help You Set Goals
While in the middle of a depressive episode, one of the many side effects can be a feeling of apathy or a lack of motivation. You might feel like doing nothing and just sitting in your room eating junk food and letting clothes pile up in a corner.
One of the many advantages of seeking counseling to help with depression is that counselors are trained to help clients tap into their motivations and set goals. You will likely spend a significant part of your sessions with problem solving and setting short- and long-term goals.
A counselor can help make the big problems seem smaller and help you to break down insurmountable tasks into smaller, more manageable tasks. This can help you tackle the smaller things, which can slowly lead to finding the motivation for larger tasks that you would not even want to think about during a depressive episode.
A Counselor Can Keep You Honest with Yourself
Friends and family can be a great resource when you need someone to talk to. However, one of the disadvantages of relying on family and friends when you are depressed is that the conversation can quickly become very personal and hostile.
Because of their hesitation to cross this line when offering advice, friends and family are not always completely honest with their loved ones. They don’t want to make their loved one even more upset than they already are.
Counselors, however, are professionals and will be honest with you, especially when you need it. Counselors do not have a personal attachment to their clients. Although they care about you and do not want to upset you, their goal is to facilitate the difficult, honest conversations that need to happen for you to manage your depression and improve your overall mental health.
When You Need Counseling Help with Depression
If you are feeling overwhelmed, unmotivated, or like your life is spinning out of control, you are likely experiencing one of the many types of depression. Give us a call and make an appointment to speak with one of our trained mental health professionals. We can assess your situation, work with you to develop strategies to manage your life, and if necessary, refer you to a medical doctor for pharmaceutical assistance.