Depression Counseling Provides Pathways To Recovery

By Claudine Hodges


Diseases caused by microorganisms can often be easily cured using medications because they follow predictably similar patterns of infection. Although depression is a serious illness, it is not contagious, and successful treatment requires a completely different approach encompassing biological, psychological, social and spiritual elements. Depression counseling is a crucial factor in achieving a longer-lasting solution.

Determining who the victims are is not difficult, but finding a precise cause for their condition is more complicated. The physical manifestations include weight gain or loss, chronic fatigue, digestive trouble, and other symptoms common to many ailments. Triggering factors may include unremitting stress, deeply felt personal loss, or substance abuse and resulting addiction, none of which necessarily indicate the presence of disease.

Because of these significant differences related to causes and symptoms, the most effective treatments use a combination approach. The development of antidepressants and other pharmacological aids has given many patients relief from the worst symptoms, but medications are not a stand-alone solution. Some have well-documented side effects, and while they can relieve the most severe symptoms, they are not a cure.

People who do experience longer-lasting relief or remission usually do so because the root causes of their distress is addressed both psychologically and physically. For most people, medication is a temporary solution and only one segment of a multi-tiered approach designed to encourage complete understanding of this disease on a personal level. Individual counseling becomes critical, and in some cases employs elements of psychotherapy.

Often referred to popularly as talk therapy, it confronts specific issues and problems common to those who suffer this illness. It provides a spectrum of recovery options, but also stresses that patients must discover which one best fits their own needs. Counseling is often a prelude to actual long-term psychotherapy, a process using a similar approach, but which delves more deeply into personal behavior patterns.

To be most effective, a spectrum of personal issues must be addressed. A counselor helps people understand how their own thought processes are working, and how to change them using a cognitive approach. Interpersonal therapy addresses the relationships people have with others, and how those interactions affect mental health. While counselors and psychologists offer possible solutions, their primary job is to help patients understand their own needs.

That journey becomes easier when there is an environment that feels safe and inspires trust. Advisers offer proven ways to reduce intractable stress, and examine the role that others may play in triggering a depressive period. When making long-term changes seems like an impossible personal goal, counselors help people get back on track. They can also help patients cope with pharmaceutical side-effects of antidepressants.

Residents of Port Charlotte FL who cope daily with the symptoms and causes of depression can greatly benefit from building a relationship with a counselor who understands their unique circumstances, and who can be the link to a better quality of life. Medications are helpful, but are not often a permanent solution. For most people, the worst choice is to take no action and continue to suffer.




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