Monday, September 22, 2014

What You Should Know About Counseling For Depression SF

By Karina Frost


Depression is a mood disorder that affects each person differently and has many causes and symptoms. It is characterized by varying degrees of sadness, loneliness, disappointment, guilt, self doubt and hopelessness. Some people can feel depressed for short periods of time but others may experience these feelings for long periods of time. This ailment is often caused by an unhappy event like the death of a loved one.

If the cause of depression is apparent and the person is aware of it, the reaction can fade away within a reasonable amount of time. However, in cases where sad feelings exist without an apparent source, the feelings may get worse since the person is not able to understand them. It is difficult to live with depression and affected individuals should therefore seek help such as speaking with a counselor. By seeking assistance from professionals who specialize in counseling for depression SF dwellers can confront the problem effectively.

It is advisable to speak with a counselor if you experience pain more than pleasure often, if the symptoms of depression are so severe to the point of disrupting your daily activities or if you have reached the point of viewing suicide as a possible solution to your problems. Antidepressants and a combination of different therapies and counseling are used to treat this illness. Some of the therapies used to treat this disorder include electroconvulsive therapy, psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and light therapy.

Depression counseling is highly effective because it offers practical help. The counselor will help you learn the skills you need to overcome depressive thinking and behaviors. He or she will also provide you with an opportunity to speak about your feelings and help you overcome the feelings of sadness, loneliness and inadequacy.

You will also receive encouragement to improve your social skills so that your needs for friendship, pleasure, intimacy and affection among other needs can be met. A counselor will also identify the things that make you feel depressed and assist you to prevail over your anxiety and fears. The professional can also help you tackle low self esteem, relationship issues and persistent negative thinking that could be making you to feel more depressed.

In most cases, counseling sessions last about 1 to 2 hours each. Patients attend about 12 to 20 weekly sessions. Patients can attend the sessions alone or with other patients depending on where they are receiving counseling. People who are counseled in a group can share their experiences with their peers and enjoy the comfort of knowing that they are not dealing with the disorder alone.

When using cognitive therapy to treat you, your counselor will help you identify problematic beliefs, learn coping skills and how to apply them in your life. This will help you deal with the problems you are facing. Through cognitive behavioral therapy, you can improve overall energy levels, increase the duration and quality of sleep and improve appetite among other things.

Between counseling sessions, you may be asked to complete some homework. This homework is meant to help you learn how to apply what you have learned to solve specific problems. Cognitive therapy has a high rate of success and is cost effective. You can begin experiencing the benefits consulting with a counselor within a matter of weeks.




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