Finding Hope for Depression

By Carla DePalma, MAT, LPC

What does depression look like? 

Many people are familiar with symptoms of depression such as general feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Other symptoms are a lack of energy or motivation, difficulty getting out of bed, difficulties with sleep, changes in appetite, lack of interest in activities that usually bring joy, and social isolation or withdrawal. This is not an exhaustive list. Some people become anxious, irritable, or tearful. You might also experience thoughts of suicide. 

One of the myths of depression is that it can only happen to someone if they have an obvious reason to be sad; a lost job, the death of a loved one or a relationship breakup. However, many factors can contribute to feelings of depression, such as: having another mental illness or substance use, physical ailments such as chronic pain or disability, traumatic experiences, financial stressors, lack of social support, or societal problems such as racism, misogyny, or transphobia. Many of us are experiencing symptoms of depression as of late simply due to social distancing during the COVID pandemic. 

Hope can be found!

Treatment comes in many forms. If you struggle with depression or aren’t sure where to start, speaking with a therapist is a great place to start. Psychotherapy has been shown to decrease symptoms of depression, especially when you find a therapist that you can trust! Therapists at Graceful Therapy offer particularly effective interventions to treat depression, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Art Therapy. 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

One of the most effective treatments for depression is Cognitive Be