Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you physically feel, the way you think, and how you act. There are many different forms of depression that can range from mild to extreme. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. It can also decrease your ability to function at work or play, creating a sense of worthlessness, isolation, and hopelessness.
It is important to note that depression can also be circumstantial and relate to life transitions, such as separation or divorce, job loss, relocation, medical diagnosis, and even the death of a loved one. Depression can be a part of the emotional processing of a circumstance and benefits from therapeutic support for relief.
Depression is part of being human
Depression is actually very common and a part of being human. We all have moments of depressive states, but it becomes problematic when it lasts or increases to unbearable intensity or frequency. Acknowledging depression can be part of simply being human is important. Knowing it shouldn’t have lasting effects is vital. Through therapeutic support, depression can be managed and controlled, creating positive results.
Depression symptoms can vary from mild to severe and can include:
- Feeling sad or having a depressed mood
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
- Changes in appetite — weight loss or gain unrelated to dieting
- Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
- Loss of energy or increased fatigue
- Increase in purposeless physical activity (e.g., inability to sit still, pacing, handwringing) or slowed movements or speech (these actions must be severe enough to be observable by others)
- Feeling worthless or guilty
- Difficulty thinking, concentrating, or making decisions
- Thoughts of death or suicide
Symptoms must last at least two weeks and must represent a change in your previous level of functioning for a diagnosis of depression.
Depression
Depression Statistics
Approximately 1% of Canadian men and 2% of Canadian women are clinically depressed at any point in time, and about 5% of men and 10% of women will experience clinical depression at some point in their life. Women are at about twice the risk of men to experience clinical depression. These rates of depression are fairly consistent in various countries around the world. Courtesy of the Canadian Psychological Association
We offer complementary 15-minute consultations to support you.
This consultation session will enable our practitioners to understand your needs and ensure we are an ideal fit for you. Much like dating, we want to make certain a ‘connection’ with your practitioner is created and encourage all prospective clients to have a free consultation prior to booking an entire session.