Recently, we have read articles discussing that there is going to be more investment in mental health. In particular, easier access to ‘talking therapies‘. Something that we feel strongly about at Seek A Therapy is that each person should be treated differently. Every person’s experience of depression is ‘unique’ and so how a person will heal from their own depressive experience needs to be explored. Talking therapies, although adequate for many, is not the only solution. When this therapy doesn’t work one can feel like there is ‘no hope’. When the truth is, hope very much STILL exists! In this article, the founder of Seek A Therapy discusses some of the different possible causes of depression. Then, we share several therapies that help depression.
The reason and journey to why people become depressed is completely unique to you. As are your beliefs and views of the world you live in. Also, your dreams for your life and goals for the future. Considering this, we must accept that talking therapies are not always the best solution for all people.
Cinderella Didn’t Have One Shoe That Fits All Analogy
We like to use the example of the story of cinderella as we all know it. The magical glass slipper that can only fit her and no one else.
Imagine if that one shoe had the mystical power of instantly curing your depression. Making everything go back to how it was before you became ill. But what, instead, if your foot was too big or too small? What then?
Your foot is unique, so are you!
Now imagine your foot was the symbol of your unique life journey. The shoe, symbolic of talking therapy, the only thing that was your only hope of improvement. What, if rather than having just the one shoe to select from you had lots and LOTS of options. Shoes that fitted every foot and even some that came in different colours?
Yes! Finding more comfortable shoes (or therapies) for your needs DO exist.
Find The Therapy That Fits YOU. Recovering From Depression IS A Unique Journey
Now we really hope you understood the metaphor of cinderella’s foot!
Your foot is very unique, it can be fat or wide, long or thin, bent toes, straight toes, rough skin or soft skin.
Just like our lives, they are unique to each of us.
This uniqueness of your foot, all scratches, bruises, bends, and blemishes is the equivalent of life’s journey. Selecting the most comfortable shoe is equal to finding the perfect therapy that is available.
Identifying why you are depressed can be important…even if you don’t know!
Many of us do not know why we become depressed. It may even feel that you have what would be perceived in society as ‘a good life’.
A good job, a good partner, a great family, and good friends but yet, you are still depressed. Why!?
It can be for many reasons. From chemical imbalances to lack of vitamin D (sometimes known as SAD). PTSD ( exposed to extreme levels of stress for a long period ) or a string of unfortunate events. Financial pressures, unemployment. Feeling you have no purpose. Your diet or lifestyle choices. An environment you currently live in. Learned repetitive negative thinking. A Stressful career. Being in bad relationships. Bereavement. Loneliness. Even genetics…the list goes on!
You can see from JUST these few things we mention it’d be incomprehensible to suggest only one therapy could help. There are many ways to heal from depression and why we are discussing this important matter.
What works for one person simply might not work for the next. Seek YOUR Therapy, explore different strategies. Find your own unique path and understanding of what works for you.
Several Therapies to explore
For some people CBT can work just as well as medication for treating problems like depression and anxiety disorders.
CBT or cognitive behavior therapy is a talking therapy. It looks at how your thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes can affect your mental health. It then teaches you coping skills for dealing with different life events.
For some, this can be a great treatment. It can be very beneficial to those who don’t realize how they are thinking.
Negative ways of thinking can happen for many reasons. It can start from childhood until virtually becoming an automatic response. By using regular and persistent CBT methods you can challenge the way you think. Improve your perspective from negative thinking to a more positive aspect of being. This treatment is often prescribed for those who are depressed but can also treat other illnesses. These include eating disorderss, phobias, anxiety, anger problems, PTSD and more. For a short visual guide here is a video from Mind : –
2. Therapies That Help Depression – Counseling
Counselling provides a safe, secure and comfortable space for you to talk to a compassionate trained professional about your troubles. They help you explore difficult feelings and how to deal with specific problems. Cope with a crisis, or develop better ways of living.
Counselling can be useful for anyone who wants to explore the way they’re thinking or feeling further, as well as anyone experiencing a problem or issue they are keen to resolve.
Counseling can be a great treatment for those who really want to talk to somebody about their thoughts and feelings. It is ideal for those who don’t want to speak to family or friends. It also allows you to talk to someone who has many years of study investigating psychology. They understand the science behind our brains and thinking better than most.
3. Therapies That Help Depression – Hypnotherapy
A personal favourite for Seek A Therapy founder and the therapy that worked best for his journey. What is hypnotherapy? Hypnotherapy helps you access your subconscious mind by changing your brain waves from Beta (the awakened state) to Delta (deep sleep/relaxation) waves. In this state, you are able to access past memories that you may have forgotten about and deal with. It is a little bit like accessing your computer’s hard drive. It goes a bit deeper than just seeing your ‘desktop’ screen every day.
On a personal note, it was incredible for me. I experienced things I had totally forgotten about from my childhood and even experienced ‘a past life regression‘! The rewards of hypnotherapy are great and I recommend looking for a hypnotherapist to help those who maybe don’t understand why they are depressed.
4. NLP
NLP stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming, a name that encompasses the three most influential components involved in producing human experience: neurology, language and programming. The neurological system regulates how our bodies function, language determines how we interface and communicate with other people and our programming determines the kinds of models of the world we create. Neuro-Linguistic Programming describes the fundamental dynamics between mind (neuro) and language (linguistic) and how their interplay affects our body and behavior (programming).
Example of NLP in practice with famous talker Tony Robbins
5. Life Coaching
Not a therapist per say, as therapists tend to look towards the past and a life coach will look to the now and what you want in the future. A life coach may be useful for those who are loosing confidence and motivation after strings of bad luck.
A life coach should be accessed if you have a DEEP desire and commitment to change, as change is not easy. In fact, it can be painful and you have to really want to push yourself and be prepared for some really challenging times.
Having a life coach can help you with goal setting. Limiting beliefs and negative thinking that are stopping us from achieving what we dream of. Overcoming obstacles, helping to build confidence and build your dreams and what is possible for you.
A life coach can keep you motivated and determined. Goals help make you more likely to act on your ambitions. If you know you have to speak to someone about what you have done each week then you are accountable for what you have or haven’t done.
Life coaching helps guide you to try to achieve the life that you want.
6. Nutritionist & Dietitian
Do you regularly eat red meat, lots of carbs, processed foods because it is easy to cook or very cheap? It is said this can be detrimental to your physical and mental health. There is research to suggest that if you lack the correct vitamins and minerals you are more prone to depression.
Several studies have found that people who ate a poor quality diet — one that was high in processed meat, chocolates, sweet desserts, fried food, refined cereals and high-fat dairy products — were more likely to report symptoms of depression.
A nutritionist or dietitian can help you identify what you are eating and help create plans to improve what goes into your body. It can help with your depression but also improve your overall wellbeing. The best part of this therapy is that when you learn about good foods you’ll find that they taste fantastic and do make you feel better in yourself!
7. Therapies That Help Depression – Acupuncture
We have provided evidence that acupuncture versus usual care and counselling are both associated with a significant reduction in symptoms of depression in the short to medium term, and are not associated with serious adverse events.
It is believed that acupuncture can help stimulate what is known as ‘happy hormones’ in your body called endorphins and why acupuncture can be known to help people overcome depression alongside other forms of illness.
8. Therapies That Help Depression – EFT
The BBC has reported on patients with depression benefiting from a therapy called emotional freedom technique.
EFT works by focusing on an emotion or feeling and then activating acupressure points on your body by tapping points. This is believed to shift ‘blocked’ energy, and then accepting the feeling and letting it go. A lot of research seems to suggest that the regular practice of EFT can help with depression.
9. Therapies That Help Depression – Psychotherapy
10. Therapies That Help Depression – Personal Trainer or Exercise
Regular exercise can boost your mood if you have depression, and it’s especially useful for people with mild to moderate depression.
11. Lack of Vitamins and Minerals including Vitamin D
This section is to do with how much vitamins and minerals we are taking in our bodies. In the northern hemisphere in places like the UK, Canada and New York there is less light and this is the only way that we can ‘naturally’ get vitamin D in our body, through the light from the sun. You may have heard of SAD ( seasonal affect disorder ). SAD is where you feel very low and depressed due to having less access to this important vitamin.
But referring back to the nutritionist, it is also important to look at what you put into your body. Some scientists suggest that our foods do not have as many vitamins and minerals in them than they used to. Ensuring your body is getting all the right vitamins and minerals is believed to help some people improve their depression and maintain a more balanced brain and health system.
Discover Therapies That Help Depression Best Is Unique To You
What we can see from this article is that there are many ways to heal from depression and what you first thought as the only way is not the only solution to healing from depression. In fact, if you were to combine several therapies it could be said to give you an even better overall treatment.
In the future articles, we will look into more therapies of both traditional and complementary therapies and begin to explain more deeply of each of the subjects we touched upon above.
Don’t give up, there are many specialists who can help you change your life and able to help you heal from depression in your own unique way.