Depression Therapy
Find relief. Rediscover joy.
At ECC, we provide personalized therapy to help you manage depression and find hope.
What Is Depression?
Everyone feels sad or blue sometimes, but these feelings usually pass. Depression is different; depression is extreme sadness or despair that lasts for a prolonged period of time and interferes with a person's ability to enjoy life. It can cause a range of physical symptoms from pain to weight fluctuations, sleep disruption, and a lack of energy. (Source: American Psychiatric Association)
There are a few different types of depression disorders:
Major Depression involves symptoms of depressed mood for at least two weeks, that interferes with daily life.
Persistent Depressive Disorder (also known as dysthymia or dysthymic disorder) involves less severe depression symptoms but they last much longer, usually 2+ years.
Seasonal Affective Disorder, as its name implies, ebbs and flows with seasons, with symptoms that arise in late fall or early winter and recede in spring and summer.
Bipolar Disorder causes extreme mood shifts from depressive (feeling sad and hopeless) to manic episodes (heightened feelings of elation, energy, and irritation).
Depression with symptoms of psychosis is a severe condition in which an individual experiences delusions or hallucinations.
Depression related to reproductive health, such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder, perinatal depression, and perimenopausal depression.
As is clear from the list above, there are many factors that may contribute to a person’s depression, from brain chemistry to hormones, life circumstances, family history, and the environment.
Signs You May Need Therapy for Depression
When depression begins to interfere with your everyday life, it’s time to seek professional help from a mental health provider. For example:
Prolonged feelings of sadness, emptiness, anxiety, or self-loathing
Irritability
Loss of interest and delight in activities and experiences
Isolation from community (friends, family, school, work)
Difficulty concentrating, remembering things, or sleeping
Changes in appetite and weight fluctuations
Maladaptive coping behaviors such as alcohol or drug abuse
Physical distress such as headaches, chronic pain, lack of energy
Problems with sexual desire and performance
Thoughts of suicide, or attempting suicide
You do not have to endure depression alone. A trusted mental health professional can help you find new ways of coping and finding relief, in person or virtually.
How Therapy Helps with Depression
There may be times in life when your depression is more acute than others; for example, if you’ve experienced major life changes such as the end of a relationship, the loss of a loved one, or a transition in school or work. You may also be so accustomed to your lowered mood after years of depression that it feels hard to imagine being happy or experiencing the joy that other people seem to. Whatever your experience with depression is, therapy can help.
At ECC, a therapist can help you uncover the underlying causes of depression and help you find relief.
Our therapists may use one or a combination of these modalities to help treat your depression:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment that helps people learn new ways of thinking and behaving to reduce depression.
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a form of therapy that uses mindfulness and goal-setting to help people cope with depressive thoughts.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is a type of therapy that has been adapted for people who need help managing and regulating intense conditions such as depression.
If your depression is severe, our therapists can help connect you with a psychiatrist to seek medication alongside continued forms of mental health therapy.
At ECC Chicago, we’re committed to working with clients to find the right therapeutic method and therapist to suit your needs. Our diverse group of licensed therapists offer a multidisciplinary approach to depression treatment, often combining different therapy methods to suit our clients’ unique needs.
If you’re struggling with depression, ECC Chicago is here to help. Reach out to schedule an intake session today. Together we can help you connect meaningfully with your life.
Learn more about our approach to depression therapy by reading our blog:
