What is clinical depression? | Claibourne Counseling

Clinical Depression (also referred to as Major Depressive Disorder) is an illness defined by a consistently depressed mood or a marked loss of interest or pleasure in things that were once enjoyable. Depression is a feeling of gloom – a persistent listless and hopeless mood – generally accompanied by a lack of energy or desire to do much of anything.

What causes depression?

Depression can be caused by a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors. A person experiencing depression can get stuck on a continuous negative thinking loop. When one is constantly feeling depressed, they typically withdraw from others, causing them to feel even worse because people truly need connections to thrive.

Who is at risk for depression?

Depression is something that many individuals experience at some time in their life – some longer and more frequently than others – and it can cause serious problems in living an optimal life.

How is depression treated?

Depression can be treated using a variety of therapies and sometimes medications as well.

Some therapeutic modalities for treating depression are:

Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) in which sessions consist of alternating eye movements, sounds, or taps to help dislodge stuck memories, encouraging the brain to resume its natural healing process.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) integrates cognitive-behavioral techniques with concepts from mindfulness practices to teach coping with emotional distress, improving interpersonal relationships, and living more mindfully.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) helps individuals cultivate a non-judgmental awareness of the present moment and enhance emotional regulation and self-compassion. This approach provides practical skills to manage mental health on a daily basis.

Internal Family Systems (IFS) aims to promote internal harmony and understanding by identifying and addressing the roles of various parts that may be contributing to depressive symptoms.

Narrative Therapy helps by viewing problems from different perspectives, identify values and skills, and rewriting stories in a ways that reflect strength and resilience; thus allowing new meanings and pathways to healing to be discovered.

Therapy can work to discover trauma responses, coping mechanisms, and subconscious programming in order to improve certain beliefs and behaviors to improve overall well-being.