“You are not alone.” For some, those words mean nothing. But for the 14.8 million American adults living with depression each year, those words can save lives. Depression is more than just the blues. Every person deals with life’s highs and lows, but it can take determination to not let depression get the best of you.
The first step is to understand what types of depression exist. When professionals determine which type is present they study how frequently he/she feels depressed and if the occurrences are persistent. The professional will also take into consideration the severity of the depression. It is important to express how bad or painful the occurrences may be. Finally, the duration of the depression will be factored in. The difference between an episode of depression lasting hours or months can determine whether it is a mild case or even life long.
It is important to diagnose the type of depression to ensure the individual receives proper treatment and/or medication. Common treatments prescribed by professionals include counseling sessions, medicines, and psychotherapy. Different methods work better for some individuals. Robert L. Hamlett’s Surviving Depression offers an in-depth look at one individual’s 39-year battle with depression. Books like these give many depressed individuals something to relate to, creating hope.
Depression is a subject that should be handled one day at a time. In order to lessen stress and preserve what energy is left, individuals should wake up each day and remember a few tips that can help. This pain you are in is not who you are. You can beat these feelings. Tell your feelings to someone, however awkward it may be at first. Take a walk in a nice environment and slowly observe any objects that might strike you as pleasant.
Pasadena Villa’s Smoky Mountain Lodge is an adult intensive psychiatric residential treatment center for clients with serious mental illnesses. We also provide other individualized therapy programs, step-down residential programs, and less intensive mental health services, such as Community Residential Homes, Supportive Housing, Day Treatment Programs and Life Skills training. Pasadena Villa’s Outpatient Center in Raleigh, North Carolina offers partial hospitalization (PHP) and an intensive outpatient program (PHP). If you or someone you know may need mental health services, please complete our contact form or call us at 407-215-2519 for more information.
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