It is normal at one time or another to experience feeling mildly depressed, sad, tearful or unmotivated, especially in difficult life circumstances. Most normal depressive reactions are short lived and tend to resolve with time, when one’s life situation improves. If you experience feeling sad or depressed for a long period of time, however, with seemingly no situational reason, you may be experiencing clinical depression. Clinical depression symptoms include feelings of sadness and meaninglessness, changes in sleeping or eating patterns, and no longer enjoying activities that were previously pleasurable for you. If you are experiencing feelings like this, lasting for days, weeks or even months, it is important to seek the help of your doctor, minister or a counselor to determine what is causing your symptoms.
Sometimes depressive symptoms can be caused by physical reasons, such as illnesses, medication side effects or imbalances in our body chemistry, so it is important to seek medical advice if you are experiencing symptoms of depression. Working with a counselor can help you identify what may be causing or contributing to your depression and set a path to finding healing. CPC counselors not only work with the psychological causes of depression, but also are able to refer you to local psychiatrists and other physicians to assess physiological reasons for your depression. Some depression can be treated with counseling alone, while other depressions may benefit from a combination of anti-depressant medication as well as counseling. There are different types of depression, so if you believe you may be experiencing depression symptoms, it is important to follow up with a professional.
All CPC Counselors work with clients experiencing depression. Meet our counselors and see who might be the best fit for you at Counselors or call our Referral Coordinator at (703) 903-9696 ext. 290 for a recommendation.