Depression
Depression is more severe than the expected sadness one might experience after a disappointment or a loss. Depression involves feeling worthless, useless, lonely, and despair about the future. These feelings may last for months or even years. Individuals who are depressed often experience a loss of interest or pleasure in things they once enjoyed, weight loss, decrease or increase in appetite, sleeping too much or too little, fatigue or loss of energy, concentration problems, and indecisiveness.
There are many theories about why depression occurs. Some say it is biological or genetic, meaning that we inherit it from our parents. Some say it results from childhood experiences, such as abuse or neglect. Others say it is because we feel helpless and overwhelmed, so we just shut down and feel nothing. Some believe it is because we have “cognitive distortions,” which are usually negative beliefs about ourselves that are not true. Still others say it is because we have turned our anger towards ourselves instead of directing it at the person who 'deserves it.' In my experience, depression tends not to be the result of any one thing. I work from a perspective that attempts to address all possible or probable 'causes' for a client's depressive symptoms. The one exception being genetics - I obviously cannot help someone change that, though even when there are genetic influences, it often takes factors from our environment to trigger the genetic expression that leads to depression. We do not inherit depression, but rather the propensity for it. Regardless of the cause, research has shown that therapy can be an effective treatment for depression, which is good reason to take the first step toward getting help.