Why Depression Counseling Is Important

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.

Although there is usually no problem identifying its victims, pinning down an exact cause of their problem can be problematic. There can be physical symptoms that mimic many other conditions, including fatigue, weight gain or loss, or digestive problems. Depression can be triggered by situations that include severe personal loss, relentless stress, or addictions and substance abuse, but those factors alone do not necessarily constitute disease.

Because of the existence of many variables regarding initial causes or symptoms, most proven treatments use a combination of therapies. Prescription antidepressants provide relief from some of the most debilitating symptoms for many individuals, but they are rarely a long-term or permanent solution. Some people experience well-documented side effects that can become unpleasant enough for them to discontinue use.

Those who achieve long-term remission, including relief from the worst symptoms, do so because their illness has been addressed on a psychological as well as physical basis. Some find that medications allow them to function well enough to embark on a program that helps achieves understanding of this disease on many levels. While personal behavior is important, a multifaceted approach stresses counseling, which overlaps with traditional psychotherapy.

Often referred to popularly as talk therapy, it directly addresses most of the specific issues commonly associated with the illness. It presents a variety of proven therapeutic choices tailored to depression, but stresses that people must choose the ones that best fit their needs. Counseling commonly leads to long-term psychotherapy, which gives patients the opportunity to gain a thorough understanding of their own motivations and resulting behaviors.

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.

They provide a comfortable, trusting and safe environment for that journey. They detail ways to reduce stress without resorting to more medications, and explain how situations or other people can become triggers for an episode. If a patient becomes overwhelmed and considers abandoning therapy, counselors help them get back on track and continue to make headway. They provide tips on coping with the effects of medication.

People living in Port Charlotte FL who must deal with the causes, symptoms and solutions to depression benefit from a counselor who best understands their predicament, and who can make the personal connection that is crucial to getting better. The most successful approach does not rely on medications alone. The worst option is to do nothing and continue living with the problem.




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