Covenant Care Counseling Center 

What is depression?
Depression is a mental health condition that causes you to feel sad, lose interest in activities that you used to enjoy, withdraw from others, and have little energy. It's different from normal feelings of sadness, grief, or low energy. Depression can also cause people to feel hopeless about the future and to even think about suicide.

It is not a character flaw, and it does not mean that you are a bad or weak person.

Depression is very common. It affects people of all ages.

If you think you may be depressed, tell your doctor. Treatment can help you enjoy life again.

What causes it?
When you have depression, there may be problems with activity levels in certain parts of your brain. Or chemicals in your brain called neurotransmitters may be out of balance. Most experts believe that a combination of family history (your genes) and stressful life events may cause depression.

What are the symptoms?
One of the most common symptoms of depression is feeling sad, hopeless, or tearful. The other is losing interest in daily activities you used to enjoy. If you have had these symptoms nearly every day for at least 2 weeks, you might have depression.

How is it diagnosed?
If your doctor thinks you are depressed, he or she will ask you questions about your health and feelings. Your doctor also may do a physical exam and tests to make sure your depression isn't caused by another disease.

How is depression treated?
Doctors usually treat depression with medicines or counseling. Often a combination of the two works best. Many people don't get help because they think that they'll get over the depression on their own. But some people do not get better without treatment.

 

Antidepressant medicines can improve the symptoms of depression in 1 to 3 weeks. But it can take 6 to 8 weeks to see more improvement. Your doctor will likely have you keep taking these medicines for at least 6 months.

In many cases, counseling can work as well as medicines to treat mild to moderate depression.

 

Counseling is done by licensed mental health providers, such as psychologists and social workers. This kind of treatment deals with how you think about things and how you act each day.

If depression is caused by a medical problem, treating that problem may also help relieve the depression.

Anxiety can be a normal part of life when faced with stressors such as changes in relationships, presenting in front of a crowd, or making decisions.

 

When anxiety is persistent and interferes with daily functioning, it can be a symptom of a mental health diagnosis. 

Some of the signs of anxiety include the following:

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• Restlessness

• Difficulty concentrating

• Muscle tension

• Sleep difficulties

• Sudden periods of intense fear

• Pounding heart

• Sweating

• Trembling

• Shortness of breath

• Choking

• Feeling of impending doom

• Panic Attacks

Trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape, or natural disaster. Immediately after the event, shock and denial are typical.

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Longer term reactions include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships, and even physical symptoms like headaches or nausea.

 

While these feelings are normal, some people have difficulty moving on with their lives. Psychologists can help them find constructive ways of managing their emotions.

 

 

Relationship counseling, also called couples therapy or couples' counseling, is a type of psychotherapy. This type of counseling helps couples of all types to explore, recognize, and resolve conflicts in an effort to improve their relationships and interactions