If getting out of bed feels like climbing Mount Everest, if things you used to enjoy now feel pointless, and if you’re running on empty while everyone around you seems to have unlimited energy, you’re not lazy or weak – you’re dealing with depression.
Depression can feel like moving through molasses or like the color has drained from life. It’s not just sadness you can snap out of or something you can “positive-think” your way through. Depression is a real medical condition that affects how your brain works, and it’s absolutely treatable.
What is depression?
Depression is more than an occasional low mood. It’s a mental health condition that affects your thoughts, emotions, physical energy, motivation, and how you see yourself and the world. Symptoms can range from persistent sadness and fatigue to irritability, numbness, or hopelessness. For some people, it’s a constant companion; for others, it comes in waves.
Causes and Triggers
Depression is rarely caused by just one thing. It can be the result of:
- Genetics and family history
- Major life changes, losses, or trauma
- Chronic stress or burnout
- Medical conditions or chronic pain
- Hormonal shifts (postpartum, menopause, thyroid changes)
- Substance use or withdrawal
- Seasonal changes and reduced daylight
- Certain medications and side effects
Triggers vary but might include relationship breakdowns, financial strain, social isolation, grief, ongoing health challenges, prolonged uncertainty about the future, or anniversary dates of difficult events. Sometimes there’s no obvious trigger and it just shows up.
Types of Depression
Depression can look different from person to person. Common types include:
Major Depressive Disorder: Persistent low mood, loss of interest, changes in sleep, appetite, and energy
Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia): A chronic, less intense depression lasting 2+ years
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Depression that occurs seasonally, often in winter
Postpartum Depression: Depression after childbirth, sometimes alongside anxiety
Situational Depression: Triggered by a major life event or stressor
Bipolar Depression: Depressive episodes as part of bipolar disorder
How Therapy Can Help
Depression convinces you that nothing will change. Therapy is here to prove it wrong.
A therapist can help you understand what’s fuelling your depression, develop tools to lift your mood, and rebuild motivation in ways that feel manageable. You’ll learn to challenge the hopeless thoughts, reintroduce activities that give life meaning, and address any underlying causes like grief, trauma, or burnout.
We can work on:
- Identifying and shifting unhelpful thought patterns
- Reconnecting with sources of joy, purpose, and meaning
- Building routines that support energy and stability
- Developing coping strategies for low-motivation days
- Processing emotions you may have been avoiding
- Strengthening self-worth and self-compassion
Sometimes therapy works best combined with medication. We can help you navigate those decisions.
Therapeutic Approaches
At Counseling with Compassion, we tailor depression treatment to each person’s needs. This might include:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: To reframe negative thinking and increase positive behaviours
Behavioral Activation: Gradually reintroducing rewarding activities to lift mood
Mindfulness-based approaches: To anchor you in the present and reduce rumination
Trauma-informed therapy: If depression is linked to unresolved trauma
Interpersonal Therapy: To address relationship dynamics contributing to low mood
You don’t have to live with a mind that never switches off. With the right support, you can turn the volume down on anxiety and start feeling more in control.
We’ve made it easy for you to get started right now.
Three simple steps. No waiting lists. Just real help, right when you need it.
Reach Out
Send us an email at hello@cwcrvc.com or call us on 516-476-9057 and tell us about what’s going on.
Get Matched
We’ll connect you with the therapist best suited to your needs.
Start Sessions
In person at our Rockville Centre office or online from your couch – either way, we’ll help you take that first real step toward feeling better.
